This browser does not support the Video element.
Brevard Teacher's Union calls out superintendent over fired teacher
Melissa Calhoun was disciplined by the state for breaking state law regarding a child’s name but has since been cleared to teach. However, the superintendent said he wouldn’t consider hiring her for at least a year. FOX 35's Esther Bower spoke with members of the Brevard Federation of Teachers who are calling on the Brevard superintendent to bring back the beloved teacher.
ORLANDO, Fla. - The Brevard Federation of Teachers is calling on the Brevard superintendent to bring back a beloved teacher.
Melissa Calhoun was disciplined by the state for breaking state law regarding a child’s name but cleared to teach. However, the superintendent said he wouldn’t consider hiring her for at least a year.
What we know:
The president of the teacher’s union says the superintendent is playing politics because students are losing a teacher during the new school year.
The union says Melissa Calhoun is allowed to teach now and has been very effective in her decade-plus years teaching English for the district, so she should be re-hired.
The teacher’s union is calling on the school board to defy the superintendent’s decision not to bring back Calhoun for the upcoming school year.
What they're saying:
The teacher’s union president argues the information being put out by the superintendent is misleading and not truthful regarding the investigation into Calhoun.
"The superintendent is not being honest about what the investigation revealed. The investigation did not reveal that she did not do this intentionally to make some kind of political statement," said Anthony Colucci, who’s the president of the Brevard Federation of Teachers.
The other side:
The superintendent of BPS argues otherwise.
"This was a conscious and deliberate decision to engage in gender affirmation without parental knowledge… I believe it is appropriate that the full term of that probation be completed before any consideration of employment," said BPS superintendent Mark Rendell in a statement released on Tuesday.
What's next:
The next school board meeting is Tuesday Aug. 12 where this issue will be discussed by board members and the public.
The Source: FOX 35 Reporter Esther Bower interviewed the union president on Aug. 6, 2025. She received a statement from the superintendent on 8/5 and also interviewed Melissa Calhoun then