This Principal Reportedly Hypnotized 3 Students Before They Committed Suicide

The years-long case between a principal, George Kenney, and families of three dead students has finally come to a sad end. Each family is receiving a $200,000 settlement in a wrongful death suit against the school board after investigations revealed that George had hypnotized the students prior to their deaths.

Although it's not clear whether the hypnotism and deaths were directly related, the principal admitted he had hypnotized 16-year-old Wesley McKinley a day before the teen killed himself. Two other students, Brittany Palumbo, 17, and Marcus Freeman, 16, were also driven to suicide after George hypnotized them.

"George Kenney told her at the time he believed she had test anxiety and he could help with that anxiety," Brittany's mom, Patricia Palumbo, said. A few months later, the girl took her own life.

Soon after the deaths, George resigned from the school and officially gave up his teaching license in 2013 and was banned from reapplying. During the investigation, officials found that the principal practiced hypnosis on approximately 70 students and staff members from 2006 to 2011 and did so without a license. He received no jail time, however, and only one year of probation from the incidents.

Brittany's mom told CBS News that she doesn't think justice was served in the case and said it's not about the money from the settlement. "The school board is as negligent as Dr. Kenney is, or Mr. Kenney. . . . I need those other families to know that I'm trying to help their kids and their families so that they don't end up like my daughter and my family," she said.