Brevard Public Schools is moving to fire Dan Bennett, a veteran teacher at Space Coast Jr./Sr. High School and a former president of the Brevard Federation of Teachers, after district officials say he failed to report two students who engaged in a sexual encounter in September 2025 while under his supervision. The school board is slated to weigh the district’s disciplinary recommendation, including a suspension without pay, at its March 10 meeting.
In a statement, the district said the teacher did not notify school administration or law enforcement as required by law and district policy. "Throughout this process, Brevard Public Schools has maintained that student safety and accountability must come before shielding adults from consequences," the district said, according to FOX 35 Orlando.
The union representing Bennett is not exactly taking that quietly. Anthony S. Colucci, president of the Brevard Federation of Teachers, pushed back in a statement to the media, saying the union will ensure the teacher receives due process. "BPS is seeking to end the career of an educator with over 30 years of exemplary service without affording him his full rights," Colucci told FOX 35 Orlando.
District Account Of The Incident
Local reporting says district records identify Bennett as the teacher who was supervising the two students at Space Coast Jr./Sr. High when the encounter occurred in September 2025, and that he did not report the matter to administrators or law enforcement as required. WFTV notes the district says it only learned of the circumstances last week.
School Board Review Set For March 10
The Brevard County School Board is set to review the termination recommendation and consider a suspension without pay at its March 10 meeting, a date cited in district materials and local coverage. WESH reports the board will take up the matter then.
Legal Implications
Florida law names teachers among mandatory reporters who must notify the state's central abuse hotline or law enforcement when they know or reasonably suspect child abuse or sexual abuse. The statutes spell out the duty to report and the penalties for failing to do so. See Florida Statute 39.201 on mandatory reporting and Florida Statute 39.205 on penalties for a knowing, willful failure to report. The Florida Senate provides the statutory language for section 39.201, and the Florida Senate also publishes the penalty provisions in section 39.205.
Union Response And Local Reaction
Local coverage says the union initially asked the district to allow the teacher to retire quietly and is now using union dues to challenge the recommended discipline. That effort has rekindled debate in Brevard over how misconduct and parental concerns are handled, with familiar battle lines reappearing. Space Coast Daily summarizes the district and union positions.
Where This Fits In A Broader Pattern
Brevard has been the center of high-profile personnel controversies before: last spring, the district declined to renew a teacher’s contract over the use of a student's preferred name without parental consent, a dispute that drew protests and national attention. AP covered that case and the community reaction.
The March 10 board meeting will be open to the public and is likely to draw comment from parents and teachers. We will update this story after the school board votes, or if the district, the teacher, or the union issues new statements.
