A teacher in the US State of Florida has been placed on administrative leave after requesting to be addressed with the gender-neutral title Mx, in a case that has reignited debate around the state’s controversial restrictions on gender identity in education.
The educator, based at Talbot Elementary School in Gainesville, works within the Alachua County Public Schools district. They requested that both students and staff use the honorific Mx — pronounced “mix” — instead of a gendered title such as Ms., Miss, or Mrs.
Mx is a gender-neutral title used by many people — including transgender, non-binary, gender non-conforming, and even some cisgender individuals — who wish to avoid gendered language. It does not signify any particular gender identity.
Attorney General Says Use of ‘Mx’ Violates State Law
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier publicly accused the teacher of violating House Bill 1069, which was signed into law by Governor Ron DeSantis in July 2023.
The bill, a key piece of Florida’s broader legislative push on education and gender identity, defines sex as “an immutable biological trait” and explicitly bars K–12 employees from using preferred titles or pronouns that do not align with a person’s sex assigned at birth.
“A female teacher at Talbot Elementary in Gainesville is forcing students and faculty to address her with the prefix ‘Mx’ instead of ‘Ms’ or ‘Mrs’. This violates Florida law and Alachua County School District policy and must stop immediately,” Uthmeier wrote on X (formerly Twitter) on 22 October.
The Alachua County School District confirmed that the teacher had been placed on leave pending a formal review, but declined to provide further details.
House Bill 1069 Faces Ongoing Legal Challenges
Although the title-related section of the law remains in effect, other aspects of House Bill 1069 have recently been struck down. In August, U.S. District Judge Carlos Mendoza invalidated large portions of the bill related to book bans in Florida schools.
The law had allowed parents to challenge books with “pornographic” content or descriptions of sexual conduct, triggering their removal within five school days. Titles pulled from school libraries under the law included The Color Purple, Looking for Alaska, The Handmaid’s Tale, On the Road, and Slaughterhouse-Five.
In his ruling, Judge Mendoza wrote:
“None of these books are obscene. The restrictions placed on these books are thus unreasonable.”
He also called the language “over-broad and unconstitutional,” adding that the legislation gave “parents licence to object to materials under a I-know-it-when-I-see-it approach,” without regard for educational value.
A Broader Backdrop of Restrictions on LGBTQ+ Rights
Florida has become a flashpoint in the national conversation about LGBTQ+ rights, particularly in schools. Laws such as the so-called “Don’t Say Gay” bill, limitations on gender-affirming care, and now restrictions on pronouns and titles, have been criticised by civil rights groups for targeting LGBTQ+ individuals and creating unsafe environments for students and educators alike.
For many advocates, the suspension of a teacher for requesting a gender-neutral title underscores the increasing tensions between state policy and individual rights — especially for those working within the public school system.
