A Lengthy Island artwork instructor beneath investigation for allegedly “sexting” a scholar “weirded out” different females in his class, sources instructed The Put up.
Bay Shore Excessive College’s John Kennedy, 52, was labeled a “favourite instructor” by many, however he made two feminine class members really feel uncomfortable together with his bodily contact and strategy earlier than Suffolk Police opened an investigation into him final week, The Put up has realized.
“At first you assume he’s humorous and good however then … he would do weirder and weirder stuff,” one in every of Kennedy’s present highschool college students instructed The Put up. She spoke with the permission of her dad and mom and claimed he repeatedly made her uncomfortable.
“This one time he got here up behind me and put his arm, like, round my shoulder and he got here up actually shut, he was, like, hugging me from behind,” the coed mentioned, including she froze in shock.
A second scholar instructed her dad and mom final yr she didn’t need to end an artwork venture in Kennedy’s classroom after faculty, and she or he would intentionally put her headphones on to dam him out and discourage him from chatting along with her.
The mom of the second scholar mentioned she felt Kennedy was “flirting” with college students and her daughter “felt creepy at occasions when he would work together along with her,” she instructed The Put up, though she didn’t report the habits to the varsity.
The mom additionally mentioned she had reached out to Suffolk police, however had but to talk with a detective on Monday.
Kennedy didn’t reply to a request for touch upon these particular allegations from The Put up. The divorced father-of-two has been on administrative depart since final week whereas Suffolk Police examine alleged youngster abuse, in line with a letter from a detective from the Particular Victims Part to district dad and mom, which was additionally obtained by the Put up.
It acknowledged that SVS “commenced a Confidential Investigation right into a Report of Suspected Baby Abuse, of a scholar by a instructor, filed on October 12, 2025, by a scholar on the Bay Shore Excessive College.”
The letter was first despatched to folks of scholars in Kennedy’s lessons, a supply mentioned, and can finally go to all of the dad and mom within the faculty.
Neither of the scholars who spoke to The Put up obtained the express textual content messages Kennedy is alleged to have despatched, resulting in the investigation by police.
“The Bay Shore College District has been made conscious of allegations … [and] took speedy motion, inserting the employees member on administrative depart and barring the person from District property,” the varsity mentioned in an announcement final week.
“We’re cooperating totally with legislation enforcement and won’t share any particulars that would intervene with their work. The security and belief of our faculty group are all the time our focus,” Bay Shore Superintendent of College Dr. Steven Maloney added to The Put up.
Earlier than instructing artwork at the highschool, Kennedy taught kindergarten by means of second grade at an elementary faculty within the district, Brook Avenue Elementary.
