A teen former Lengthy Island scholar who claims she was raped in a classroom by a well-liked artwork instructor is suing the varsity district for allegedly failing to guard her from the twisted “serial intercourse predator.”
The ex-student was groomed by now-fired Bay Shore Excessive College teacher John Kennedy, 53, beginning final 12 months when she was 17 years outdated — main as much as sick acts by which he pressured her to masturbate him and carry out oral intercourse, penetrated her along with his fingers and carried out oral intercourse on her in his classroom, court docket paperwork declare.
“Kennedy was in any respect related instances a serial sexual predator who sexually assaulted and abused Plaintiff and different college students all through his employment,” alleges the scathing grievance, which doesn’t identify the accuser.
The teacher — who many college students as soon as described as their “favourite instructor” — used his place of energy to achieve her belief earlier than abusing her between June and October 2025, in accordance with the Suffolk County Supreme Courtroom submitting.
The Bay Shore Union Free College District in the meantime repeatedly appeared the opposite method as Kennedy’s grooming performed out in plain sight — kissing the teenager repeatedly, exposing himself and groping her each over and below her garments, brazenly professing in entrance of different college students that she was his “favourite” throughout class, letting her work at his desk as he massaged her neck and taking part in together with her hair whereas sitting shut sufficient that their legs could be touching, in accordance with the grievance.
Although the scholar was of the authorized age of consent in New York on the time of the alleged abuse, and the Suffolk County Police Division’s investigation was closed after discovering no proof of legal conduct, the plaintiff’s lawyer, Andrew Silvershein, argues within the go well with that as a instructor, Kennedy occupied a place of energy that made the connection inherently exploitative, whatever the age of consent.
Silvershein claims the district didn’t even take motion to cease the teacher — regardless of reviews by the scholar’s dad and mom and others — until October, when Kennedy was positioned on administrative go away after the district was made conscious of sexually charged textual content messages he exchanged with the scholar, as The Publish beforehand solely reported.
Only one month earlier, the scholar’s mom raised considerations about Kennedy instantly to highschool officers — together with Principal Stephen Gordon and steerage counselor Michelle Plett — however they stored letting him have contact with the teenager, “failing to adequately supervise or separate” the 2 and permitting the abuse to proceed, the lawsuit alleges.
Silverstein mentioned the varsity district had an obligation to guard the teenager plaintiff from being sexually groomed by a instructor and failed — together with even after a scholar posted a video of Kennedy on TikTok and feedback from college students piled on that he would flirt with women in his class, resulting in the district to demand the scholar delete the video however taking no motion relating to the allegations within the content material.
“On the finish of the day, this man was a instructor able of energy over a scholar, and he used his place of energy to groom her and abuse her,” Silvershein instructed The Publish.
“[As a teacher,] he’s there rather than a mother or father, and which means there’s a increased responsibility and accountability there.”
Silvershein alleged that Bay Shore has coated for sexual predators earlier than, particularly ex-teacher and serial youngster molester Thomas Bernagozzi.
Bay Shore Superintendent Steven Maloney has maintained that the district acted swiftly as soon as it discovered of the allegations and instantly positioned Kennedy on administrative go away, barred him from district property and alerted the Suffolk County police.
“The District is conscious of the allegations raised on this lawsuit, and won’t focus on the precise claims in pending litigation or personnel issues,” Maloney mentioned in a press release to The Publish.
“When the matter was first delivered to our consideration in October 2025, the District took quick motion. … The Suffolk County Police Division was instantly notified and the District totally cooperated all through their investigation.
“The Bay Shore College District will proceed to behave shortly and responsibly in all issues relating to the well-being of our college neighborhood,” the superintendent mentioned.
The Publish was unable to discover a working cellphone quantity for Kennedy.
