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ORLANDO, Fla. - Florida’s education commissioner has filed an administrative complaint seeking disciplinary action against a Brevard County science teacher accused of violating state law and professional conduct rules by using a name for a student without parental permission.
What we know:
Florida’s education commissioner has filed an administrative complaint against Satellite High School science teacher Kerry Clapper, alleging she violated a 2023 state law by repeatedly using a name for a female student without written parental consent.
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Clapper, who holds an educator’s certificate valid through 2027, could face sanctions ranging from probation to permanent revocation of her license if the Education Practices Commission upholds the complaint.
What we don't know:
It remains unclear how often Clapper used the alternate name, whether the student or parents objected, or how the district had responded to the complaint beyond the commissioner’s filing. The complaint, which was filed in August, does not specify whether Clapper has been disciplined at the school level or remains employed.
The backstory:
This marks the second case in Brevard County tied to the state’s restrictions on names and pronouns in schools.
Earlier this year, former Satellite High English teacher Melissa Calhoun faced similar accusations and was placed on probation for one year, fined $750 and required to complete ethics training. Though allowed to keep her teaching license, Brevard’s superintendent said he would not rehire her until her probation ended.
What they're saying:
In an email which included an administrative complaint, a spokesperson for the Florida Department of Education said that Commissioner Kamoutsas found probable cause to sanction Clapper’s certificate on August 14, 2025.
"Ms. Clapper has requested a formal hearing, and the parties are typically allowed time to negotiate. Commissioner Kamoutsas will be seeking a suspension of this educator’s license," wrote Nathalia Medina, FDOE spokesperson.
FOX 35 reached out to Brevard Public Schools for comment.
"I can confirm that Ms. Clapper is an employee of Brevard Public Schools. The Department of Education is investigating Ms. Clapper," said district spokesperson Yvette Cruz.
Melissa Calhoun, the former teacher disciplined in a similar case, said she wants to return to teaching.
"My hope is that I get to come back into the classroom and do the thing that I love," she told FOX 35 News in August.
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In a statement, she added: "It’s unfortunate that the district continues to politicize a mistake and one that I took ownership of and that the Educational Practices Commission ruled on. … What the superintendent seems to be advocating for is a suspension which again feels as though it’s double jeopardy."
Brevard Superintendent Mark Rendell defended his decision not to rehire Calhoun until her probation is complete.
"This was not a mistake. This was a conscious and deliberate decision to engage in gender affirmation without parental knowledge," he said. "Our district will always prioritize the law, the trust of our families, and the rights of parents."
The Source: This story was written based on information taken from an administrative complaint filed by Florida Commissioner of Education Anastasios Kamoutsas, Brevard Public Schools, Brevard Superintendent Mark Rendell, former Brevard County teacher Melissa Calhoun.