Lawsuit: Bay Shore teacher sexually abused student in classroom as district ignored warnings
A 17-year-old student is suing the Bay Shore School District, alleging that a teacher sexually abused her repeatedly in his classroom over several months and that the district failed to protect her despite being asked for help multiple times.
The lawsuit, filed against the district and teacher John Kennedy, 53, claims that between June and October 2025, Kennedy subjected the student to repeated sexual assaults, including forced masturbation, oral sex, and other acts, sometimes in front of other students, as reported by the New York Post and The Daily Star.
The student, who has not been identified, says she asked the school for help several times but was ignored, which allowed the abuse to continue. According to the complaint, Kennedy — a former art teacher at Bay Shore High School — would have the girl sit at his desk while he massaged her neck and called her his “favourite.” The lawsuit describes him as a “serial sexual predator” who sexually assaulted the student throughout his employment.
The complaint also alleges that the school district had received multiple accusations against Kennedy from the student’s parents and others, but no action was taken initially. It was only in October that the district placed Kennedy on administrative leave — four weeks after the student’s mother had pleaded with the head teacher and a guidance counselor to keep Kennedy away from her daughter. According to the lawsuit, the school allowed contact to continue and failed to “adequately supervise or separate” the two.
The Suffolk County Police Department opened an investigation into Kennedy but later closed the case after finding no evidence of criminal conduct. The student was of legal age of consent in New York at the time, but the plaintiff’s lawyer, Andrew Silvershein, argues in the suit that Kennedy’s position of power over the student made the relationship inherently exploitative, regardless of age of consent.
“At the end of the day, this guy was in a position of power over a student, and he used that power to groom and abuse her,” Silvershein said.
The lawsuit also references a TikTok video posted by a classmate that sparked student comments about Kennedy’s flirtatious behavior, but the district allegedly failed to act on those allegations.
The Bay Shore School District has not yet commented publicly on the specific allegations. Superintendent Steven Maloney said the district took immediate action in October after becoming aware of the allegations and cooperated with the police investigation.
The district has also been accused by Silvershein of previously ignoring signs of abuse by another teacher, Thomas Bernasconi, who was later convicted of sexual misconduct. The current lawsuit cites that history to demonstrate a pattern of neglect.
Kennedy could not be reached for comment. The lawsuit seeks damages for the student’s emotional distress and asserts that the district’s negligence allowed the abuse to continue.
The case raises questions about how school districts handle reports of educator misconduct and whether adequate protections are in place for students.