Bay Shore art teacher pleads not guilty to stalking former student
Court documents allege the teacher stalked the former student on multiple occasions between Aug. 11 and Sept. 3.
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A Bay Shore High School art teacher has pleaded not guilty to stalking a former student whom prosecutors say he repeatedly followed.
According to prosecutors, John Kennedy, 53, drove by the former student's home multiple times and followed her in his vehicle. Police said Kennedy and the student had a relationship last year when she was a 17-year-old senior at Bay Shore High School.
Police arrested Kennedy on Thursday after he allegedly followed the 18-year-old woman from her Bay Shore home to Selden, investigators said.
Court documents allege Kennedy stalked the former student on multiple occasions between Aug. 11 and Sept. 3.
Suffolk Police Commissioner Kevin Catalina said the victim contacted authorities after the alleged behavior became increasingly concerning.
"He repeatedly had followed this girl to the point where it made her very uncomfortable, and she contacted law enforcement," Catalina said. "We investigated the case and we made the arrest."
Bay Shore Superintendent of Schools Steven Maloney said Kennedy has been on administrative leave and barred from district property since October 2025.
Kennedy is also accused of following the woman to Suffolk County Community College in Selden, where she is a student. Authorities allege he approached her there after being told to leave her alone.
Kennedy's attorney, Karl Seman, disputed the characterization of the incident.
"The allegation is he was in a public place and drove his car and parked it and tried to have a conversation," Seman said.
The stalking case is separate from a civil lawsuit filed by a former Bay Shore High School student, who alleges the district failed to protect her from sexual abuse by Kennedy.
A judge released Kennedy on Friday morning and issued a stay-away order of protection.
Catalina emphasized that the stalking allegations are unrelated to the lawsuit against the school district. As News 12 has reported, the former student involved in the civil suit is not suing Kennedy.
