[{"_1":2,"_100":-5,"_101":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6138657,"mediaKeyId","5582138-1c431dd94d05af54d24ccfa7ebbe6e02","parentId",5582138,"title","Board attorney requests closed attorney‑client session on Moms for Liberty litigation","audioSeconds",112,"startMs",4932000,"endMs",5044000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5582138-1c431dd94d05af54d24ccfa7ebbe6e02&start=4932&end=5044","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5582138-1c431dd94d05af54d24ccfa7ebbe6e02/thumbnail_4932000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6138657/Florida/Board-attorney-requests-closed-attorneyclient-session-on-Moms-for-Liberty-litigation","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6138657-88c093196c8d4c005f85f1d668c27533/orig.mp4?Expires=1770504367&Signature=AqDLfrXB-5~eie16dWnTX~vUCW1bxEVS8kpHjsksjXgcqDNpvCGCpUaA~NrEC5AKaiy6IdRxiq0vB1krBzp3YLof1dfZiycLhwn9IuNz5R7-7OCb5tUhR~88sC-zMBibQ4befr0n6sTsOwRhngV9dvX2sUyfD-FXuouzIcklA56r9C2IvlUBuQwiu9GghN8KEu9O2ssZcFSMbhxBT0VJZweURInWkK6dXxGmu~4~8zOaIG3-hOkDSzbjcGYBmL3cV5sSwDY-J~Uc6WyNyXPYFCC3Zux~a-LJMNh-yaZI-MkRHjInNhagKubd5wuzqdWK3s1lMTigS1C1ccgAI9jXMQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Brevard County School Board","date","2025-08-13T12:17:47Z","article","The board’s general counsel asked the School Board of Brevard County to convene an attorney‑client session under Florida’s Government in the Sunshine Act to receive legal advice and discuss strategy and settlement in pending litigation titled Moms for Liberty et al. v. School Board of Brevard County, Florida, case number 6:21‑cv‑01849 (eleventh circuit case number 23‑10656 was referenced).

Paul Gibbs, speaking on behalf of counsel Howard Marks, told the board the attorney‑client session would be scheduled with required public notice and with a court reporter present; the transcript of the closed session would be made public after the litigation concludes or a settlement is reached. Gibbs named the individuals statutorily permitted in the closed session: the five school board members (Katie Campbell, Matt Susan, John Thomas, Jean Trent and Megan Wright), Superintendent Dr. Mark Rendell, and outside counsel representatives from Burr & Forman.

Gibbs recommended the board hold the attorney‑client session pursuant to Florida Statute section 286.011, which governs closed legal consultations, and asked the clerk to coordinate dates and to provide notice. The board took a short recess after the announcement; no public vote on scheduling a specific date was recorded in the public portion of the meeting excerpt.

The item reflects ongoing litigation involving the district and the external group named Moms for Liberty; the board’s counsel will follow the statutory notice process and arrange a court reporter so the closed session discussion can be transcribed and later released as public record if and when litigation concludes.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","School Board Meeting 8-12-25","oneSentenceSummary","The school board’s attorney asked the School Board of Brevard County to schedule an attorney‑client session to discuss strategy and settlement in the pending litigation involving Moms for Liberty; the clerk will publish notice and coordinate dates and a court reporter.","taxTitle","Brevard, School Districts, Florida","taxId",15572,"location","Florida","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6138662,"Brevard School Board approves expanded cell‑phone ban; students and parents warn of classroom access problems",3367,1576000,4943000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5582138-1c431dd94d05af54d24ccfa7ebbe6e02&start=1576&end=4943","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5582138-1c431dd94d05af54d24ccfa7ebbe6e02/thumbnail_1576000.jpg","/articles/6138662/Florida/Brevard-School-Board-approves-expanded-cellphone-ban-students-and-parents-warn-of-classroom-access-problems","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6138662-ddf831d73a232b2e03f934942a587a71/orig.mp4?Expires=1770504367&Signature=bZa3i~oriMuC8OqxYe5ymbdXvxOGfCi8zFD1i27PoQwBlNJGclPkOMbxLGYiOFhuDVrsuW1k-TH3yHBp0z0fV5p9P1NH7oSmilmIGaJDBIg4E1xl3oNeJ2G3te62--wD1HTx3rPovqhtHJC55UZLH9zkTIkxYohXPhNBPr-fKVURrZPmPDXNMzMGo72sagP44HrXyBr7dKndZXmVN5yJzHx2OaxRJmWXA-D-eEQwuW6fkc1G~fPjQVIhP5eJ5ygQSWhLHkYPUTwDfLV~PQrZmzrYwHB1vq1kuKd~~kxlLcsbAz4mpMmIDcwGIz2Vu3iUO1EI6UvmYIa4uFyPZzUvqA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The School Board of Brevard County voted to adopt revisions to its wireless communication device policy, extending a ban on student use of personal devices during the school day. The board recorded a 4‑1 roll call vote: John Thomas, Jean Trent, Matt Susan and Megan Wright voted aye; Katie Campbell voted no.

Supporters said removing phones from classrooms and common areas would reduce distraction and improve student engagement. “I have no absolutely no desire to not remove the cell phones from the hallways, from the cafeterias,” board member Matt Susan said during discussion, adding administrators reported louder, more social lunches when students did not use phones.

Public commenters largely opposed the blanket restriction for high school students, warning it would impair educational access for students who rely on personal devices for specialized coursework, dual enrollment and accessibility needs. “For students like me in dual enrollment, science research, or with learning differences, personal devices such as tablets and computers are not distractions. They are lifelines to our education,” Ava Gallo, a Satellite High School junior, told the board.

Speakers raised several recurring concerns: some students and parents said district-issued laptops are too slow or unavailable for out‑of‑class work; music and science students said apps used for tuning, metronomes and proprietary research software are not available on school devices; and parents of students with IEPs said the policy could limit access to audio books or adjustable fonts during non‑instructional times such as lunch. One commenter summarized the conflict as: “Stop calling this a ban on cell phones because it's not. It's a ban on education accessibility.”

Board members agreed to adopt the policy but also said the policy would not be enforced for 30 days, giving the board and staff time to workshop exceptions and implementation details. Several members urged staff to examine technical gaps in district devices and to return with more specific guidance for principals on permitted educational uses.

The policy change affects district definitions of “wireless communication devices” to include phones, tablets and personal laptops and requires devices to be powered off and out of sight from first bell to last bell, with limited exceptions included in the final policy language. Board members and staff noted that the district’s student code of conduct contains discipline procedures and that schools have been communicating consequences to families for implementation. One parent relayed a principal’s description of enforcement steps: “First time the phone gets taken away; second time the parents have to come up and get the phone; third time they get a 3‑day suspension.”

The board also committed to follow‑up work sessions to refine the language around laptop and tablet exceptions, accessibility accommodations, dual‑enrollment students and principal discretion. The policy adoption will be implemented after the 30‑day period to allow those workshops and additional community input.","The School Board of Brevard County approved a policy banning wireless communication devices during the school day for all grade levels; the board said the policy will not go into effect for 30 days and staff will hold work sessions to address exceptions for laptops, tablets and students with disabilities.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6138665,"Parents, teachers and students urge Brevard School Board to reinstate teacher Melissa Calhoun",4940,939000,5879000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5582138-1c431dd94d05af54d24ccfa7ebbe6e02&start=939&end=5879","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5582138-1c431dd94d05af54d24ccfa7ebbe6e02/thumbnail_939000.jpg","/articles/6138665/Florida/Parents-teachers-and-students-urge-Brevard-School-Board-to-reinstate-teacher-Melissa-Calhoun","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6138665-1ac30153b3b40a3af3da05491bd5bf40/orig.mp4?Expires=1770504367&Signature=Z-tNqtYq6jfeCfmxNj8SBoIE00LIKmpTgZXFsbFIJ4e9mPhIsyqva-JkznIT5tDaQW3HxM2H15McAQHilz0P9114bnVap3meOyzfsHrlmDnYVFET85wTiOPoZcZ8GUxNfODx9GzddyIiv-aDBxw3zHdk3cvpScaZdSa16zwrwdcCahcvq0VSEmoCX1vhc6wBdJhO3zTDfiUHiZ-UyLesYNmAQ5U4HDTt6PDbR0ULRCd7c7wgWk-ihEJgXcvJ8vNpLvb1QjdSsC5gcywLXR5JsAnTAh-usSv2TiNY4zlxiT8ZT7mlFIB4PsB08jpd9LktvduU8gtLL~vqTGb-iys6kA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Dozens of parents, teachers and students at a School Board of Brevard County meeting pressed the board to reinstate Melissa Calhoun, a teacher whose rehire was omitted from the board’s instructional staff recommendations. Public speakers said the Florida Education Practices Commission had declined to strip Calhoun’s certificate and that the board had previously said it would reconsider rehiring if the state left her license intact.

The issue drew sustained public comment because, speakers said, the board’s earlier statements created an expectation that it would follow the state’s decision. “You said if they did that, you would bring her back,” Andrew Spar, an elementary music teacher and president of the Florida Education Association, told the board. “Miss Calhoun should be in the classroom.”

Speakers said the board’s action — not listing Calhoun among the district’s recommended hires — contradicts public statements made at earlier meetings and damages trust between district leaders and staff. Vanessa Skipper, vice president of the Brevard Federation of Teachers, said the district’s own investigatory outcomes and the unanimous state panel decision should have been enough to rehire Calhoun. “You issued a letter of reprimand, a reasonable response, but then you chose to nonrenew her contract,” Skipper said. “Even more troubling is the inconsistency in your standard of redemption.”

Calhoun, who addressed the board during public comment, framed her remarks around teacher credibility and the impact on students. “If we want these 73 newly appointed educators to become teachers of high impact, then they must be treated as professionals,” she said, asking the board to “commit to transparency, commit to professionalism, and commit to protecting our teachers.” (Item F‑9 on the board agenda related to instructional staff recommendations and listed 73 appointments and 29 reappointments.)

Other speakers urged a community forum and asked the board to honor its prior conditional statement. “You looked us in the eye. You said you'd reconsider Miss Calhoun's reinstatement if the state cleared her to teach. The state cleared her to teach. And now you've broken your word,” Bill Pearlman said. Students, parents and teachers asked for a moderated town hall to allow dialogue outside the formal board meeting format.

Board members did not take formal action to reinstate Calhoun during the meeting. Speakers repeatedly asked the board to place Calhoun on the instructional recommendations or otherwise instruct the superintendent to hire her; no motion to do so was recorded in the public meeting minutes. Multiple commenters emphasized the downstream effects on hiring, classroom stability and morale if qualified, experienced teachers are excluded. Jennifer Nagy, a parent, asked the board to “restate Melissa Calhoun immediately” and to “host an impartial town hall.”

Speakers cited specific procedural and factual points discussed in earlier public meetings: that the board had conditioned reconsideration on a state decision, and that the state panel had left Calhoun’s certificate in place under probation. Commenters also raised concerns about perceived political influence in personnel decisions and urged adherence to prior public statements.

The public outcry was cross-cutting: union leaders (including the Brevard Federation of Teachers), parents, students, and union-affiliated speakers all urged action. Several speakers offered concrete remedies short of immediate rehiring, including an independent town-hall-style forum and a board-led review of how personnel decisions are communicated to the public.

The board did not announce any immediate personnel vote or other formal action related to Calhoun at the meeting. The discussion therefore remained in the public-comment and informal-discussion phase, with repeated calls from the community that the board follow through on earlier commitments and provide clearer public explanation of its decision-making.

Looking ahead, numerous speakers requested a moderated public town hall and said that a transparent, documented explanation of the board’s personnel decision-making would be the next step to restore trust.","Dozens of public commenters at a Brevard School Board meeting urged the board to reinstate Melissa Calhoun after the Florida Education Practices Commission upheld her certificate; commenters said the board broke its earlier public pledge and pleaded for transparency and a town hall.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Board attorney requests closed attorney‑client session on Moms for Liberty litigation

Brevard School Board approves expanded cell‑phone ban; students and parents warn of classroom access problems

Parents, teachers and students urge Brevard School Board to reinstate teacher Melissa Calhoun