Do students need permission to use their nickname in class? Florida will now require parents consent first

If your child prefers going by a nickname, get ready to be greeted by a new form this school year.

Florida students will need parental permission to go by anything other than their legal name due to recent legislation signed by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.

The new measure comes after memos were sent to parents by Orange County Public Schools and Seminole County Public Schools officials Tuesday afternoon, just days before the start of the 2023-2024 school year.

Here's what to know about the new forms and how it impacts students.

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What is the Parental Authorization for Deviation from Student's Legal Name Form?

The "Parental Authorization for Deviation from Student's Legal Name Form" asks parents to sign if they agree to allow their child to be able to use a name aside from their legally given name on any campus.

Why are Florida schools sending out these permission slips for nicknames?

In a memo from Orlando County Public Schools Deputy General Counsel John Palmerini, he notes that the Florida Board of Education on July 19 adopted the change to the Florida Administrative Code. It states that each school board must adopt a policy for education records that includes "provisions for parents to specify the use of any deviation from their child's legal name in school."

Furthermore, school officials told WESH that if their student prefers a nickname, the school will use it. Yet, they will only use it with written parental permission.

"They can put any of their preferred nicknames. Some students go by middle name. There are a lot of different variations, but anything that's a deviation from the legal name will need the parent's consent,” Katherine Crnkovich, Seminole County Public Schools communications officer, said to reporters in Orlando.

A lot of people tend to go by a different name or nickname. For example, Ron DeSantis' birth name is Ronald.

What is House Bill 1069?

HB 1069 is a new education bill that was signed into law by DeSantis in May of this year.

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The controversial new rules aim to restrict books that include “sexual conduct” from grades that are not age-suitable, prohibit the use of pronouns that do not correspond to someone’s sex assigned at birth, bar classroom instruction on sexual orientation or gender identity from prekindergarten through grade eight, requiring all reproductive health materials be approved by the Department of Education and more.

Are all Florida counties requiring a permission slip?

According to the Orange County Schools memo, this new rule will soon apply to all 67 Florida counties. The following counties that have already implemented it or have publicly said they are:

• Orange

• Seminole

• Volusia

• Marion

• Escambia

What do the forms require?

The forms ask parents to authorize the use of the approved nickname, which will then be entered into the school's system.

"As an example, if the student is named Robert, but likes to be called the nickname Rob, the form must be filled out authorizing teachers and other personnel to call Robert the nickname Rob," the memo said.

Per the form from Orange County County Schools, it states:

"Under School Board Policy JRA, ‘A parent/legal guardian or any person who seeks to enroll a student under a name other than the student’s legal name or seeks to change the name of a student already enrolled shall be informed that the name of the student as recorded on the birth certificate or other supporting evidence as prescribed in Section 1003.21, Florida Statutes, shall be used until or unless a final court order verifies a legal name change.’"

Do the forms apply to transgender students wanting to go by another name?

According to the Orange County Schools memo, parents may fill out a form "allowing the usage of a transgender name," which can be completely different from their given name. However, even if a transgender student did get permission from their parent to use a different name, teachers are not obligated to use that student's preferred pronouns due to HB 1069's language.

The bill prohibits school employees or students from being required to refer to people by pronouns that don't correspond to the person's sex.

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"As an example, if the student's legal name is Robert, but the student identifies as a transgender girl and uses the name Roberta, the parent may authorize a teacher or other personnel to call the student Roberta," the memo said.

It also clarifies that while teachers and other employees would use the name requested by the parent, they "may elect not to utilize the pronoun 'she/her' when referring to Roberta" as a result of a recently enacted law.

What other recent Florida legislation has been geared toward schools and the LGBTQ community?

Earlier this year, DeSantis gained worldwide attention for signing bills that ban gender-affirming care for minors, mandate people to use certain bathrooms, and restrict discussions of personal pronouns in schools. The impacts of these bills have led to questions over whether certain topics like the works of William Shakespeare, or even entire courses like AP Psychology, could be taught in high schools.

Here's some of the legislation passed:

• Expansion of the Parental Rights in Education Act (HB 1557) - Expanded to now include fourth through 12th grades, bans instruction about sexual orientation and gender identity from kindergarten through high school.

• SB 266 - Prohibits colleges and universities from spending money on diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives.

• HB 379 - Prohibits the use of the social-media platform TikTok on devices owned by school districts and through internet access provided by districts. Requires public schools to provide instruction on the social, emotional, and physical effects of social media.

• HB 389 - Allows school districts to provide free menstrual hygiene products in schools.

• HB 931 - Prohibits colleges and universities from using “political loyalty” tests in hiring, admissions, or promotions.

• HB 1035 - Spells out various rights of teachers, including a right to “control and discipline” students and to challenge certain directives from school districts they believe violate state law or State Board of Education rules.

• HB 1069 - Provides requirements relating to titles and pronouns, as well as revises provisions relating to instruction & materials for specified instruction relating to reproductive health.

• HB 1521 - Imposing restrictions on which bathrooms transgender people can use at schools and public buildings. It will require people to use bathrooms that line up with their sex assigned at birth.

This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Florida schools require parents permission to use students' nicknames