TROY — Outgoing city Councilman T.J. Kennedy faces a felony assault charge after being accused of secretly spiking a woman's drink with hemp seeds and a hemp plant, according to records filed Wednesday in City Court.

Kennedy, a 29-year-old Democrat, also is accused of endangering the welfare of a child for allegedly putting THC, an intoxicating ingredient in marijuana, into a smoothie drink he gave the woman who consumed it Oct. 30 while she and a 10-month-old baby boy drove home from Kennedy’s residence.

Kennedy laced the 39-year-old woman's drink without her consent. The woman had been involved in a relationship with the councilman, who represents the 6th District that includes South Troy.

A not-guilty plea was entered on Kennedy's behalf for felony second-degree assault and misdemeanor endangering the welfare of a child. Kennedy was released on his own recognizance from custody after his arraignment in City Court. He is due back in court on Dec. 16.

Judge Christopher Maier issued an order of protection for the woman and the 10-month-old child, directing Kennedy to stay away from them.

A spokesperson for the District Attorney's office said it has not yet been determined if a special prosecutor would be requested.

Kennedy, who declined to speak with the Times Union about the case, was accompanied by his lawyer, Joseph A. Granich of Albany, when he surrendered to the city police department's detective division.

The woman, in a statement to detectives, said it was not unusual for Kennedy to make her a smoothie. But, she said, this time the drink did not taste right and that “my hands started feeling tingly and I did not feel right. I had a dull headache and just did not feel normal, I felt I was high.” She said she called Kennedy about the drink and that he said he had put some hemp seeds in it.

The woman, who works as a nurse, said she went to the hospital to be checked out and asked to be given a drug test to determine if “I had any drugs or marihuana in my system. The test did come back positive for THC.”

She also asked a neighbor to taste the smoothie, according to her statement. The neighbor told police that the drink tasted like marijuana and that he felt high, according to court records.

On Nov. 20 when Kennedy came to her home to pick up the baby, the woman said in her statement that she put her cell phone on record in her pocket and questioned Kennedy about whether he put anything in the smoothie.

“He did admit that he put hemp seeds and he put a weed plant in it and then said it was a hemp plant that he put in the smoothie and said he did not think it would do anything ...” she told detectives.

The arrest caught city officials off guard.

“The charges against Councilmember Kennedy are troubling and warrant a thorough investigation of the facts. Due to the ongoing criminal investigation, it would be inappropriate to speculate or comment further at this time,” Mayor Patrick Madden, a Democrat, said.

Kennedy’s arrest came a week after Council President Carmella Mantello filed a sexual harassment complaint with the city administration over what she said was Kennedy’s “inappropriate behavior” following the council’s adoption of the city’s 2020 budget at a special meeting last week. Mantello said her complaint is being investigated and would not offer any further comment regarding it.

Regarding the charges Kennedy faces, Mantello said, “If it’s true, he needs to resign immediately.”

Kennedy was the second council member within a year to face charges in court. Mantello pleaded guilty Jan. 3 to driving while ability impaired in Clifton Park Town Court in what police described as an aggressive driving incident.

Kennedy, meanwhile, faced multiple charges including driving while intoxicated, resisting arrest, leaving the scene of an accident and various vehicle and traffic violations stemming from an April 2009 incident in Albany while he was a college student and lived in East Greenbush, state University at Albany police confirmed. Albany City Court could not provide an outcome of the charges filed against Kennedy.

First elected in 2017 to a two-year term, Kennedy did not run for re-election this year and will leave office at the end of the year. City Democratic Chairman Gary Galewski said the city party’s nominating committee opted to go with another candidate, Eileen McDermott, who was elected in November.