A popular Long Island high school teacher is under investigation for allegedly sending sexually charged text messages to an underage student, sources told The Post.
John Kennedy, Bay Shore High School’s art teacher, was removed from the classroom and placed on administrative leave Wednesday after the district became aware of the alleged texts. Sources claimed the messages he exchanged with a female student contained explicit, sexual language, prompting a probe by Suffolk County police.
District and police sources have confirmed the allegations and identified Kennedy, 48, as the teacher placed on leave. Suffolk County Police Department officials declined to name him but confirmed there is an active investigation involving a Bay Shore teacher.
“The Bay Shore School District has been made aware of allegations involving a High School staff member,” Superintendent Steven Maloney said in a Wednesday statement. “When made aware, the District took immediate action, placing the staff member on administrative leave and barring the individual from District property. The Suffolk County Police Department was immediately notified and we continue to fully cooperate with their ongoing investigation.”
The school district and Suffolk police have not officially named Kennedy and have otherwise remained tight-lipped about the case.
According to a source, the student involved is believed to be a senior at the high school and had been carrying on a relationship with Kennedy since at least the summer. Another source described the alleged text messages as “disgusting.”
Although the full nature of the communications and the identity of the student remain unclear, teachers and students alike were shocked by the accusations against someone many described as their “favorite teacher.”
“It’s sad, everyone liked him, especially the kids, he was beloved,” said a teacher in the district who confirmed Kennedy was the teacher placed on leave.
One student, enrolled in Kennedy’s art class this year, shared their feelings about the situation: “He was a great teacher but stuff happened and now I’m looking at him very differently,” said the 11th-grade student, who asked to remain anonymous.
This scandal marks the second high-profile incident involving possible sexual misconduct by Bay Shore teachers in recent history. In November 2024, the district was ordered to pay $25 million in damages related to a decades-old abuse case involving retired third-grade teacher Thomas Bernagozzi.
Bernagozzi, now 76, was accused of sexually abusing students over more than three decades while working at multiple elementary schools. A Suffolk County jury found that the district ignored repeated warning signs about Bernagozzi, whose alleged abuse spanned the 1970s through the early 2000s, with more than 50 former students coming forward since.
https://nypost.com/2025/10/27/us-news/favorite-long-island-teacher-48-being-probed-for-allegedly-sexting-with-underage-student-sources/