Florida Teacher Suspended for Using Gender-Neutral Title 'Mx.' in Violation of State Law

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A Florida elementary school educator has been suspended on administrative leave pending an investigation after allegedly requesting students and colleagues to address them using the gender-neutral title "Mx." instead of traditional titles like "Ms." or "Mrs."

Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier publicly addressed this situation on social media last week following a complaint received by his office.

The educator in question works at Talbot Elementary School in Gainesville and was accused of requiring both students and faculty members to use the title "Mx." The school district has not released the teacher's identity.

The title "Mx." has existed since the 1970s and was officially added to dictionaries in 2017. Language specialists indicate that "Mx." (typically pronounced as "mix" or "mux") functions similarly to traditional honorifics like "Mr." or "Ms." and provides an option for individuals who identify as non-binary or in situations where gender is unknown.

According to the Attorney General, using such titles contradicts Florida's official position that "sex is an immutable biological trait" and that it is "false to ascribe to a person a pronoun that does not correspond to such person's sex."

Uthmeier described the educator's actions as "unacceptable" and instructed Alachua County Public Schools to ensure the immediate discontinuation of the title within the school environment.

The issue relates to Florida House Bill 1069, which Governor Ron DeSantis signed into law in July 2023. This legislation prohibits K-12 educational staff from using preferred personal titles or pronouns that do not align with their birth-assigned sex.

The Attorney General urged school administrators to "enforce the law and consider disciplinary action," cautioning that failing to do so could result in legal consequences.

Education Commissioner Anastasios Kamoutsas supported Uthmeier's position, describing the allegations as "deeply troubling and ones that I will not take lightly."