A Florida School District Is Requiring Parent Authorization To Use Student’s Nicknames

Certain Florida school districts are requiring parents to sign a permission slip if their child uses a nickname.

According to Orange County Public Schools, students who desire to be addressed by a nickname at school will require parental authorization. The requirement extends to transgender students who want to use a name other than their legal one. Nevertheless, this policy doesn’t allow teachers and staff to use a student’s favored pronouns or inquire about pronoun preferences.

“Questions have arisen about whether a parent can approach an employee. And ask the employee to utilize a pronoun which does not correspond with the student’s biological sex at birth. The State Board of Education has not given guidance on this precise question. An educator cannot solicit a child’s pronouns as this is directly prohibited by law,” the memo reads.

In contrast, OCPS suggests teachers address students by their legal name or a nickname (with the signed permission form). The memo emphasizes that teachers who disregard these updated guidelines might be subject to penalties affecting their teaching certification. In the most severe cases, their teaching certificate could potentially be revoked.

This recent regulation emerges following new legislation that mandates school boards to establish a policy pertaining to educational records. As a result, school districts will subsequently create a form enabling parents to furnish any necessary documents stipulated by the policy.