A Christian minister who was dean of students at a US high school attempted to murder a student by shooting him in the head, a court heard.

The Rev Shaun Harrison, who worked at the English High School in Boston until he was fired on Thursday, also ran a drugs operation selling marijuana, it was claimed.

He was identified by the 17-year-old student who he he had been mentoring and who he shot in the back of the head, but who survived.

Roxbury District Court heard on Thursday that Harrison, aged 55, known as "Rev", preached a non-violent anti-gang message and helped organise gun amnesties. He denies the charges of armed assault with intent to murder, aggravated assault and battery and unlawful possession of a firearm.

Suffolk Assistant District Attorney David Bradley told the court that the teen was shot behind the ear in an "execution-style shooting", the Boston Globe reported. "He had told the victim that they were going to a house to get marijuana and meet up with some girls for the victim," Bradley said.

The stricken student flagged down a passing car for help and doctors removed a bullet from his cheek at Boston Medical Centre. He told police he had been selling marijuana for Harrison for months, the court heard.

Harrison, dressed in a gray suit, shook his head in apparent disagreement during the arraignment. Judge David Poole set bail at $250,000.

Three other men were arraigned at the same time, all three on drug charges and two of them on firearms charges.

At English High, where he had worked since January, the minister ran anger management classes and a substance abuse program. He ran unsuccessfully for the City Council in 2009 and had worked for schools in Boston since 2010.

Jake Wark, the Suffolk County District Attorney's Office spokesman, told the Daily Beast: "It's amazing that a person who was shot in the head was able to speak with investigators, and did identify Harrison."

Harrison is a father of eight. The Daily Beast also reported that his son Jeremy is currently under indictment for shooting his girlfriend in the head in 2013. The unlawfully owned firearm went off accidentally while he was cleaning it, Harrison said at the time.