3 High School Students Die After Being Hypnotized by Their Principal

In the spring of 2011, a quiet Florida town was rocked by an eerie and heartbreaking pattern: three high school students died within weeks of each other — and all three had previously taken part in private hypnosis sessions with their principal.

The story has since become the focus of multiple true crime documentaries, including True Crime Story: Look Into My Eyes and a recent episode of The Curious Case Of…, which revisits the unsettling case of former North Port High School principal Dr. George Kenney.

Kenney hypnotized dozens of students

During his time at North Port High School, Kenney hypnotized more than 70 people, including students, staff, athletes and even parents. Though he completed a short course with the National Guild of Hypnosis in 2009, he was never a licensed hypnotherapist.

He first demonstrated hypnosis at school events and graduation lock-ins before offering private sessions to students. Parents were asked to sign permission slips, and many sessions were videotaped.

Some students praised him. A few said their grades improved. Others claimed better athletic performance and reduced anxiety.

But in early 2011, tragedy struck.

Three teens died within weeks

Marcus Freeman, 16, Wesley McKinley, 16, and Brittany Palumbo, 17, had all attended private hypnosis sessions with Kenney before their deaths.

Freeman, a football player, reportedly met with Kenney before games to help him focus. Friends later claimed he appeared to enter trance-like states. On March 15, 2011, Freeman veered off the road and crashed into a tree while driving home from a dentist appointment. He died in the accident.

Just weeks later, McKinley, a talented young musician preparing for a Juilliard audition, died by suicide. His mother later said his behavior changed after sessions and described him as seeming “zombie-like” at times.

Then in May 2011, Palumbo also died by suicide. She had met with Kenney to help improve her SAT scores and reduce test anxiety. Her mother attended the session and later said Brittany remembered little about what happened during it.

Parents raise serious concerns

Kenney has consistently denied that hypnosis caused harm or contributed to the students’ deaths. He said he was unaware of potential risks, including the dangers of working with individuals struggling with depression, and admitted in legal documents that he never screened students for mental health history before sessions.

Parents of the teens accused him of teaching students how to enter trance states without understanding the consequences. Some former students also claimed lingering memory issues or disturbing experiences after being hypnotized during school trips.

Investigations and legal fallout

After Palumbo’s death, Kenney was placed on administrative leave. The Sarasota County school board launched an investigation, and the Florida Department of Health alleged he had violated state law by practicing therapeutic hypnosis without a license.

In 2012, Kenney pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor charge of practicing hypnosis without a license. He received probation and community service but avoided felony charges that could have led to prison time and the loss of his retirement benefits.

He later moved out of Florida.

Families reach settlement

In 2012, the families of Freeman, McKinley and Palumbo sued the Sarasota County school board for wrongful death, alleging that the district should have prevented Kenney from conducting hypnosis sessions.

In 2015, the school board settled with each family for $200,000, the maximum allowed under state law.

To this day, the case continues to divide the community. Some former students defend Kenney, saying he helped them succeed. Others believe the sessions may have played a role in the devastating chain of events that unfolded that spring.

The full story — and the lingering questions — are explored in the docuseries revisiting one of Florida’s most unsettling school scandals.