NORTH PORT HIGH SCHOOL PRINCIPAL GEORGE KENNEY WAS SUSPENDED TUESDAY AFTER SCHOOL DISTRICT OFFICIALS LEARNED HE HAD HYPNOTIZED A STUDENT WHO COMMITTED SUICIDE THE DAY AFTER A SESSION. IT WAS LEARNED THAT KENNEY USED HYPNOSIS REGULARLY ON STUDENTS TO HELP THEM IMPROVE THEIR FOCUS FOR ACADEMICS OR ATHLETICS. KENNEY IS A CERTIFIED HYPNOTIST AND AUTHOR, AND HE ACKNOWLEDGED TO THE HERALD TRIBUNE HE HYPNOTIZED 16 YEAR OLD WESLEY MCKINLEY THE DAY BEFORE HE WAS FOUND DEAD IN A VACANT HOME NOT FAR FROM HIS FAMILY’S NORTH PORT HOME ON APRIL 8TH. KENNEY HAD OBTAINED PERMISSION TO PERFORM HYPNOSIS ON MCKINLEY FROM HIS PARENTS, AND HE TOLD AUTHORITIES HE HAD HYPNOTIZED MCKINLEY THREE OTHER TIMES. SCHOOL DISTRICT OFFICIALS SAID THEY DID NOT KNOW OF KENNEY’S HYPNOSIS OF STUDENTS, BUT ONCE SUPERINTENDENT LORI WHITE LEARNED OF IT ON TUESDAY, SHE PLACE KENNEY ON ADMINISTRATIVE LEAVE AND ORDERED AN INVESTIGATION.
