A Louisiana Republican official and pastor has resigned as principal of a Christian school after being arrested for the second time in two months for child abuse.
John Raymond, pastor of Slide New Horizons Church and elected member of the Executive Committee of the Republican Parish of St. Taman, was arrested Monday by the Slide Police Department and charged with second-degree cruelty to minors.
The arrest was triggered by an accident at Lakeside Christian Academy, from kindergarten to the 12th grade school he founded and taught. Raymond was accused of repeatedly insulting a 4-year-old classmate, including holding him upright on his feet and repeatedly beating his butt.
On Monday, the school sent a letter to parents and staff stating that Raymond was taking voluntary leave. Reported by NOLA.com.
Last month, Raymond was arrested on three counts of cruelty to minors after reports surfaced that he had gagged three students as punishment for “excessive speaking” last month.
There have been several incidents involving a student of K. Police said the child was sometimes disgusted by Tantrum, where he was crying and screaming. To prevent this from being done once, Raymond would place his hand on the child’s nose and mouth until it was bitten.
According to police, an employee told Raymond to stop after noticing that the child was having difficulty breathing and could no longer stand. In another incident, the child was allegedly dragged to the ground after refusing to go with Raymond.
Police said their investigation is ongoing as they question additional witnesses linked to other allegations against Raymond. He was released Monday on $ 7,500 bail.
After the incident last month, Raymond defended himself in a statement on the school’s website. He said his confession was obtained through torture and his confession was obtained through torture.
“All the students picked up tape and I took a piece and carefully placed it in their mouths to make sure it didn’t touch their nose and didn’t interfere with their breathing. “None of the students wrapped a ribbon around their heads,” he wrote.
Raymond is also a member of the Republican State Central Committee, the governing body of the Republican Party of Louisiana. In 2018, he did not successfully run for the Louisiana House of Representatives.
Source: Huffpost
