Current:Home > MarketsFormer 'Survivor' player, Louisiana headmaster convicted of taping students' mouths shut-LoTradeCoin
Former 'Survivor' player, Louisiana headmaster convicted of taping students' mouths shut
View Date:2024-12-24 00:37:12
A Louisiana Republican elected official, minister and former realty TV contestant has been convicted of cruelty to juveniles in his previous role as headmaster of the Christian school he founded.
John Raymond, a 62-year-old member of the state's Republican Party's state central committee, was found guilty Monday on three felony counts of child cruelty. He's convicted of taping students' mouths shut during his time as headmaster at the Lakeside Christian School in the southeast town of Slidell in 2022.
A St. Tammany Parish jury also convicted the former "Survivor" contestant of second degree child cruelty for holding his hand over a 4-year-old child's mouth, keeping the child from breathing that same year. His sentencing date is scheduled for Oct. 23.
Raymond did not respond to requests for comment from the USA TODAY Network on the verdict. He has previously denied the allegations against him.
"I'm completely innocent of these charges and confident I'll be fully exonerated in a fair judicial process," Raymond said in an interview last year. "I love children, and that's why I started the school. I never hurt a child and look forward to putting these false charges behind me."
Raymond said the charges stem from "disgruntled ex-employees with an axe to grind."
Louisiana Republican Party to remove Raymond
The Louisiana Republican Party executive committee is expected to remove Raymond, according to Chairman Derek Babcock, who confirmed a vote will be held.
"As soon as I found out about the verdict I forwarded the information to our credentials committee, which our bylaws require," Babcock said as reported by The Shreveport Times, part of the USA TODAY Network. "The credentials committee will get back to the executive committee. We're just making sure we follow the process, but it's pretty cut and dried."
The Republican State Party endorsed Raymond last year in his unsuccessful bid for a state House seat while awaiting trial.
Louisiana Republican Rep. Mike Bayham of St. Bernard Parish told the USA TODAY Network he believes the GOP State Central Committee's leadership should remove Raymond, citing the bylaws allowing it with a two-thirds vote of the executive committee.
Bayham, who is also a member of the Republican State Central Committee, wrote on X Monday that "It's time to end the embarrassment."
A pastor, radio station owner and 'Survivor' contestant
Raymond is also the lead minister of New Horizon Church in Slidell and operates The Bridge 88.7-FM Christian radio station, which he owns.
He also appeared on "Survivor: Thailand," the fifth season of the reality competition show that aired in 2002. With six votes, he was first person eliminated from the season.
He is a familiar figure in the state Capitol who testified in multiple hearings supporting bills, like requiring schools to post "In God We Trust" in classrooms, officially allowing historical Bible courses to be taught in public schools and in favor of LGBTQ restrictions.
Among his written campaign promises: "Reject the woke trans-agenda."
veryGood! (53)
Related
- Smithfield agrees to pay $2 million to resolve child labor allegations at Minnesota meat plant
- Inside Gisele Bündchen's Birthday Girls' Trip With Daughter Vivian and Twin Sister Patricia
- Coast Guard rescues 2 from capsized boat off Georgia coast
- Body of missing 2-year-old recovered days after flash flood: Police
- Dozens indicted over NYC gang warfare that led to the deaths of four bystanders
- Barbie Casting Director Reveals the Stars Who Had to Turn Down Ken Roles
- US heat wave lingers in Southwest, intensifies in Midwest: Latest forecast
- Why Julie Bowen Is Praising Single Modern Family Co-Star Sofia Vergara After Joe Manganiello Split
- What happens to Donald Trump’s criminal conviction? Here are a few ways it could go
- In the Pacific, Some Coral Survived the Last El Nino, Thanks to Ocean Currents
Ranking
- Kentucky governor says investigators will determine what caused deadly Louisville factory explosion
- Gigi Hadid Says All's Well That Ends Well After Arrest in the Cayman Islands
- Q&A: The Truth About Those Plastic Recycling Labels
- Beat the Heat With These 19 Hacks To Make a Sweaty Commute Much More Tolerable
- A crowd of strangers brought 613 cakes and then set out to eat them
- Midwest States, Often Billed as Climate Havens, Suffer Summer of Smoke, Drought, Heat
- Below Deck Sailing Yacht's Gary Confronts Daisy & Colin Over Secret Hookup in Reunion Bonus Clip
- Come on Barbie, Let’s Go Shopping: Your Guide to the Best Barbie Collabs: Barefoot Dreams, Crocs & More
Recommendation
-
Jury awards Abu Ghraib detainees $42 million, holds contractor responsible
-
Why Dressing Margot Robbie in Barbie Was the Biggest Challenge for the Costume Designer
-
Below Deck Sailing Yacht's Daisy and Colin Slam Each Other & Reveal OMG Details From Messy Breakup
-
Tony Bennett and Susan Crow's Love Story Will Fly You to the Moon
-
Todd Golden to continue as Florida basketball coach despite sexual harassment probe
-
Everything to Know About Vanderpump Rules Season 11
-
Kylie Jenner Shares BTS Photo From Day of Her Reunion With Jordyn Woods
-
Nordstrom Rack's Clear the Rack Sale: Shop an Extra 25% Off on Top Brands Starting as Low as $6