Teacher, 53, ‘raped student, 17, in classroom’ as she sues school for ‘failing to protect her from serial predator’

A TEACHER has been accused of repeatedly raping a teen student with the girl filing a lawsuit claiming the school ignored her cries for help. The 17-year-old alleges that John Kennedy, 53, committed sickening acts of sexual abuse inside his classroom in Long Island. Art teacher John Kennedy has been called a ‘serial sexual predator,’ in a new lawsuit Credit: Bay Shore Schools The teen has sued the school for failing to take action against the alleged sex pest Credit: Google Maps Pupils previously called Kennedy, formerly an art instructor at Bay Shore High School, their “favourite teacher”. But a shock new lawsuit filed against the school alleged that Kennedy flagrantly abused a female student in front of the class – and that the school turned a blind eye. Sign up for The Sun newsletter Thank you! She would be forced to sit at his desk while he massaged her neck and called her his “favourite”, court docs say. The teacher is also alleged to have groped the girl and repeatedly forced her into despicable sex acts between June and October 2025, according to the teen’s lawsuit. “Kennedy was at all relevant times a serial sexual predator who sexually assaulted and abused Plaintiff and other students throughout his employment”, states the complaint. Suffolk County Police Department previously launched an investigation into Kennedy but later shut the case after finding no evidence of criminal conduct. The school district was also said to have received multiple accusations against Kennedy from the student’s parents and others, the suit alleges. It was only in October – four months after the teacher’s alleged campaign of abuse – that Kennedy was suspended from his position. Most read in The Sun The move was prompted after text messages of an allegedly sexual nature were discovered between himself and the teen. Just one month earlier, the girl’s mother had pleaded with school officials – including Principal Stephen Gordon and guidance counselor Michelle Plett – to stop Kennedy having contact with her daughter. But the lawsuit alleges that they continued to allow contact, “failing to adequately supervise or separate” the two. A classmate of the girl even posted a video of Kennedy to TikTok – with the comment section flooded with accusations that the art teacher would flirt with his students. The district demanded the deletion of the video – but took no action over the allegations in the content, according to court docs. “At the end of the day, this guy was a teacher in a position of power over a student, and he used his position of power to groom her and abuse her” said prosecuting lawyer Andrew Silvershein. Silvershein alleged that Bay Shore district had covered for child molesters before – including ex-teacher Thomas Bernagozzi. Bay Shore Superintendent Steven Maloney said the district acted quickly in response to the allegations by placing Kennedy on leave, barring him from district property and alerting the police. He said: “When the matter was first brought to our attention in October 2025, the District took immediate action. The Suffolk County Police Department was immediately notified and the District fully cooperated throughout their investigation.” Comment now