Student having ‘medical emergency’ had been given Kratom by coach, FL cops say

A high school student found “unresponsive” on campus had been given packets of Kratom by the school’s track coach, according to investigators.

The teen suffered a “medical emergency” after consuming the stimulant, but survived, the Hernando County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release.

As for the coach, he has been arrested, officials said.

The incident happened Friday, May 9, at Hernando High School in Brooksville, about a 50-mile drive north from Tampa.

“A Hernando County Sheriff’s Office school resource deputy responded to a classroom ... in reference to a 17-year-old student who appeared to be having a medical emergency,” the sheriff’s office said.

“The student was unresponsive with a rapid pulse, shallow breathing, and was hot to the touch. The deputy then performed a sternum rub, which the student responded to by sitting up and saying he was hot. ... The student had an elevated heart rate and blood pressure.”

He then acknowledged taking “an herbal supplement” given to him by track and field coach Terry Kennedy, a teacher at the school, officials said.

“The student advised that he saw the teacher use the supplement previously as an energy booster, and asked Kennedy if he could have some. Kennedy provided the student with two packets of the Kratom-based supplement,” officials said.

He consumed both packets between classes and was soon experiencing a series of alarming symptoms, officials said. The teen was taken to a hospital “for further treatment and observation,” and details of his condition were not released.

Kratom’s “stimulant-like effects” have made it a popular energy booster, mood lifter and pain reliever, but experts have deemed it “unsafe and ineffective,” according to the Mayo Clinic.

Sixteen states regulate Kratom, including Florida, where it is against the law to supply it to anyone under age 21

“During questioning, Kennedy, who coaches track and field and is a former football coach, advised that he provided the supplement to the student at the student’s request. Kennedy said he was aware the supplement contained Kratom,” the sheriff’s office said.

A warrant for Kennedy’s arrest was issued May 16 on a misdemeanor “charge of furnishing a Kratom product to a juvenile,” the sheriff’s office said. He turned himself in the next day and bond was set at $500.

This story was originally published May 20, 2025 at 1:49 PM with the headline "Student having ‘medical emergency’ had been given Kratom by coach, FL cops say."