Three Florida Students Died After Hypnosis Sessions With Their Principal — The Unsettling Case of Dr. George Kenney

In spring 2011, three teenagers from North Port, Florida — Marcus Freeman, Wesley McKinley and Brittany Palumbo — died within weeks of one another after each had participated in private hypnosis sessions with their high school principal, Dr. George Kenney. The case raised urgent questions about the use of hypnosis in schools, oversight of educators, and the legal boundaries of therapeutic practice.

What Happened

Dr. Kenney, principal of North Port High School, had conducted public demonstrations of hypnosis at school events and then offered private sessions to students, staff and parents. He attended a five-day training through the National Guild of Hypnosis in late 2009 but never held a professional hypnotherapy license. Local reporting later estimated he hypnotized at least 75 people, and one student reportedly underwent roughly 40 sessions.

Students' Experiences and Concerns

Some students and parents credited Kenney's sessions with improved test scores or athletic performance. Others reported troubling aftereffects, including memory gaps, confusion, disorientation and behavior out of character. In interviews and legal filings, former students described episodes in which they woke with lipstick on their faces, became lost in unfamiliar places, or experienced persistent attention and memory problems after sessions.

The Three Deaths

Marcus Freeman, 16, reportedly received regular hypnosis before football games to reduce pain and sharpen focus. On March 15, 2011, after a painful dental appointment, Freeman veered off the road and crashed into a tree; he died and his girlfriend was seriously injured.

Wesley McKinley, 16, a promising musician preparing for a Juilliard audition, had three known sessions with Kenney. Family members described episodes of "zombie-like" behavior and confusion following some sessions. McKinley died by suicide on April 8, 2011.

Brittany Palumbo, 17, met with Kenney for help with SAT anxiety in late 2010. Her mother attended and recorded the session and later said Brittany had no memory of key parts of it. On May 4, 2011, Palumbo died by suicide at home. Her mother has said she does not believe Kenney "programmed" Brittany to die but worries the sessions may have removed some resistance to self-harm.

Investigation, Legal Action and Outcomes

After Palumbo's death the school placed Kenney on paid administrative leave. The Sarasota County School Board commissioned an independent review (Steele Investigations Agency) that included allegations he once interfered with first aid by attempting to hypnotize an injured student. The Florida Department of Health investigated and concluded Kenney had practiced therapeutic hypnosis without being a licensed healthcare professional.

Kenney pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor charge of practicing therapeutic hypnosis without a license, resigned in June 2012, and was sentenced to two consecutive six-month probation terms and 50 hours of community service. He later moved out of Florida. In December 2012, families filed wrongful-death suits against the Sarasota County School Board; in October 2015 the district settled with each family for the maximum available amount of $200,000.

Public Reaction and Media Coverage

The case drew national attention and has been the subject of documentary coverage, including a 2023 episode of the series True Crime Story: Look Into My Eyes and a 2024 episode of ID's The Curious Case Of... Documentary interviews include grieving families, former students, school staff and Kenney himself. Some classmates defended Kenney as a trusted educator who helped them, while families of the deceased maintain his unlicensed practice contributed to the tragedies.

Kenney's Position: He has said he believed his short training made him effective, that he did not intend harm, and that he did not know hypnosis could exacerbate conditions such as clinical depression. He also acknowledged he did not review students' medical or mental health histories before sessions.

Why This Matters

The case highlights important issues: the limits of school staff authority, the need for clear boundaries around psychological interventions in educational settings, the importance of mental health screening before any therapeutic technique is used, and accountability when student safety may be at risk. It also illustrates how complex grief, differing memories, and conflicting testimonials complicate efforts to determine causation in tragic, high-profile cases.

Sources: Reporting and documentary material from People, the Sarasota Herald-Tribune, ABC News, The Guardian and documentary series referenced above.