K-8 Student Berated, Called Homophobic for Rejecting Sexual Orientation Propaganda, Teacher Removed

BROOKSVILLE – A Winding Waters K-8 art teacher has been removed from the classroom after she allegedly called a student homophobic during an altercation last Wednesday.

Kori Shay contacted R News after her son, an 8th grade student at Winding Waters K-8, got into an altercation with his art teacher over an inappropriate drawing posted on the wall. According to her son, teacher Michelle Seeholzer asked the students to think of an idea, draw a picture of the idea, and then write about it. After finishing his picture of trees underwater and writing, "If trees release oxygen, why don't we put trees in the ocean so we can breathe underwater," he walked over to the board and looked for a place to post it. He noticed another student's drawing that depicted a character stating, "I love women. I'm a woman kisser. I am a lesbian," and thought that was inappropriate. He removed the picture, placed it on the table and then posted his picture in its place. That's when Seeholzer walked over and confronted him.

According to Shay's son, Seeholzer asked why he took it down. He replied, "it doesn't need to be up there." Seeholzer proceeded to tell her son, "It's okay if you're lesbian, gay, or transgender - it's completely normal." She goes on to tell him, "He needs to learn to accept it." He replied, "You can't make me accept it, when they couldn't even accept themselves," Shay says her son was referring to the constant indoctrination by some teachers who teach children to embrace alternate sexual lifestyles and believe gender is fluid. Shay says she teaches her children to have strong moral values, and is very blunt when it comes to what should and shouldn't be taught in schools.

Shay says Seeholzer got so angry with her son that she ripped his picture off the wall and tore it into pieces. She then put the lesbian picture back on the wall. She proceeded to call him homophobic for voicing his opinion about the picture being inappropriate.

Shay says this is not the first time Seeholzer has had sexual conversations with students. Her son says she often has one-on-one discussions with students about being gay. Some as young as 10 years old.

Angry over what happened with her son, Shay says she went to the school Thursday and spoke with the Assistant Principal Melissa Tomlinson about the incident. Shay says the school sent out an announcement later that day stating, "At this time, WWK8 school administration is investigating an incident where a middle school teacher is alleged to have used the word "homophobic" to a student. The teacher has been removed from the classroom pending the outcome of the investigation." There are cameras in the classroom, which Shay believes most likely help expedite their decision.

As a result of the teacher's removal, Shay says her son has already been confronted by students who think he was being a "crybaby" over the teacher calling him homophobic. A few students have already reported that Seeholzer has told them that she got in trouble because of her son. During her meeting with the Assistant Principal, Shay made it very clear that her son is not to be retaliated against by anyone in the school because her son is an honor roll student and doesn't want this incident to negatively affect the rest of the school year.

Shay says, "He's not homophobic, we're not homophobic, we could care less what you do. We have friends that are gay we have family members that are gay we don't care. Shay explains, "There are truly innocent children that are in 6th grade and don't know what gay is and this or that. They come in there and say I'm a lesbian, and then the teacher is sitting there trying to explain what Gay, Transgender, and lesbian is, and that's not okay. You don't tell someone that you need to believe in God, you don't do that."

Shay is concerned with the overall condition of our schools and says, "Over half the students in class don't stand for the Pledge of Allegiance they don't care about that anymore." Shay says, "Only a few students even stand and put their hand on their chest. The rest just sit and talk."

Shay will be attending the Hernando County School Board meeting this Tuesday to voice her concerns over the continued indoctrination of students in Hernando County Schools.

R News reached out to the Hernando County School District for comment but they have not responded.