After a contentious six-day trial, a jury found prominent Louisiana Pastor John Raymond guilty of three felony counts of child cruelty, plus one count of second-degree child cruelty. The charges stemmed from his disciplinary actions as headmaster of Lakeside Christian Academy, a ministry he founded through New Horizon Church in Slidell.
In 2022, Raymond taped shut the mouths of three seventh-grade students after they repeatedly disrupted class. He also put his hand over the mouth of a 4-year-old who was having a tantrum, preventing the child from breathing.
RELATED: Louisiana Pastor, Academy Headmaster Arrested for Juvenile Cruelty a Second Time
After hearing the verdict read in St. Tammany Parish Monday (Sept. 23), John Raymond said, “I’m not guilty. I’ve never been cruel to a child, and I love children.” The pastor and headmaster, who’s also an elected member of the Louisiana Republican Party’s state central committee, has claimed he’s a victim of cancel culture.
Raymond faces up to 40 years in prison. Sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 23.
Pastor John Raymond Is Active in GOP Politics
This closely watched case was “in the crosshairs” of a “culture war,” according to Joseph Long, John Raymond’s attorney. The defense argued that prosecution witnesses were “wrathful” and that one, a former Lakeside teacher, was a “rumormonger.”
Northshore District Attorney Collin Sims, a Republican, rejected claims that he had succumbed to wokeness. “The law is the law,” he said. “You can’t put your hands on kids that aren’t yours without a parent’s permission. It was a pastor’s duty to counsel, not suffocate, the child.”
Parents of the victims have also filed a civil lawsuit against Raymond. Through an attorney, they said, “We will pray that John will benefit from this humbling experience and become the religious and community leader that he wishes to be.”
Raymond, a 2002 contestant on the reality TV show “Survivor,” also owns a local Christian radio station. He has testified about religious and educational issues at the Louisiana State Capitol, opposing LGBTQ rights and supporting biblical teaching and displays in public schools.
Last year, while Raymond awaited trial, he launched an unsuccessful bid for a State House seat. One theme of his campaign was “Reject the woke trans-agenda.” On the New Horizon website, Raymond’s sermons and blogs point to America as a “Christian nation.”
After Raymond was convicted Monday, Louisiana Republican Rep. Mike Bayham urged the executive committee of the state’s GOP party to remove the pastor. “It’s time to end the embarrassment,” posted Bayham.
School Defended Headmaster John Raymond
Pastor John Raymond’s legal troubles began in spring 2022, when Louisiana’s Department of Children and Family Services informed Slidell police about potential child abuse at Lakeside Christian Academy. After police investigated, they arrested Raymond twice that spring, once for the mouth-taping incident and again for covering the preschooler’s mouth.
Raymond, who took a leave of absence from the school at the time, posted a statement explaining and defending his actions. He said he gave the seventh graders a choice between having their parents called and being suspended or having their mouths taped for a few minutes. They all chose the tape and weren’t harmed or prevented from breathing, he said.
