School Board may settle case with families of suicide victims

At their Oct. 6 meeting, the Sarasota County School Board will decide whether to pay settlements to three families who accused a former North Port High School principal of causing students’ deaths by practicing hypnotherapy on them.

Each of three families would receive $200,000 under the agreement with the School Board, which would settle the cases permanently and release the School District from any further responsibility. The District denied responsibility in the three separate deaths in its response to the initial lawsuits.

In 2009, Stephen Cantees, executive director of high schools for Sarasota County, had been notified that then Principal Dr. George Kenney was performing hypnosis on students and staff for various reasons, according to the complaint filed against the School Board. Cantees ordered Kenney to perform hypnotism only during psychology courses as a demonstration, and with permission from parents. However, the complaint alleges, it was common knowledge Kenney was still hypnotizing students individually, usually in his office after school.

Brittany Palumbo, Wesley McKinley and Marcus Freeman were all participating in hypnotism-therapy sessions. McKinley and Palumbo committed suicide in April and May, 2011, respectively, and Freeman collided with a tree driving home from a dentist's office in March, 2011.

Each suit alleges that the deaths were linked to hypnotism performed by Kenney, and accused the school board of permitting unlicensed therapy and failing to adequately supervise Kenney.

Staff have recommended the School Board approve the terms of the settlement.