By Cassandra Feliciano, SFGate

Florida police are investigating a high school principal for using hypnosis on students and employees.

Dr. George Kenney’s hypnotherapy practices were quite popular at North Port High School before coming under scrutiny when 16-year-old Wesley McKinley committed suicide the day after Kenney hypnotized him.

Investigators say that Kenney admitted to lying about hypnosis sessions with two other students who died shortly after meeting with him–Marcus Freeman, killed in a car crash in March, and Brittany Palumbo who killed herself in May.

According to police reports, Kenney hypnotized as many as 75 people, including students, parents, staff and their children, and made podcasts on reducing test anxiety and improving athletic performance through hypnosis.

While principal, Kenney had defied three separate school board orders to use hypnosis only in psychology class and with parental supervision. He faces possible charges under a Florida law that prohibits “therapeutic hypnosis” conducted without the supervision of a medical professional.

Although Kenney has been suspended and assigned to an administrative job while police complete investigations, several North Port students still rally behind the hypnotist. They created a Facebook page to “keep supporting an amazing principal even when our School Board does not.”