The Louisiana Republican Party has endorsed John Raymond, a long-time anti-LGBTQ+ state house candidate who has been charged with four counts of criminal cruelty to children.
Minister and Headmaster
John Raymond is a lead minister at New Horizon Church in Slidell, Louisiana; Raymond owns Christian radio station The Bridge 88.7 FM and was a contestant on Survivor in 2002.
He’s also the founder and headmaster of Lakeside Christian Academy in Slidell.
He is running to represent the state’s reliably red House District 104.
He previously ran two other unsuccessful bids for a Louisiana House seat in 2018 and 2019, touting his support for former President Donald Trump and his opposition to same-sex marriage.
Taping Kids’ Mouths Shut
Raymond was arrested last year after he allegedly punished three students by taping their mouths shut.
He wrapped packing tape around the three 13-year-olds’ heads for talking excessively in class. The students were sent back to class, where another administrator who “felt uncomfortable with the situation” removed the tape.
The students reportedly had trouble breathing and said that removing the tape was painful. Raymond surrendered to police after they obtained a warrant for his arrest, and he was charged with three counts of cruelty to juveniles.
In response, Raymond claimed the students were “bullying” a teacher and said that all three were given the choice to either have their mouths taped shut or have him call their parents and be suspended.
Whipping a Child’s Buttocks
The GOP candidate was arrested again in May 2022, this time for allegedly holding a 4-year-old boy upside down by the ankles.
In addition, he was accused of whipping the child’s buttocks, and in a separate incident, he was accused of covering the boy’s mouth and nose with his hand to stop a tantrum.
Witnesses said the boy could not breathe and went limp, saying he was “out of it and lethargic.”
Raymond said in an earlier statement, “I’m completely innocent of these charges and confident I’ll be fully exonerated in a fair judicial process,” he said. “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.”
Blames Charges on Disgruntled Employees
He claims that the charges stem from “disgruntled ex-employees with an axe to grind.”
In light of all of these events, last week, Louisiana Republican Party Chairman Louis Gurvich confirmed that the party’s executive committee had endorsed Raymond.
His opponent in the race, Jay Gallé, a former marine and businessman, called the state party’s endorsement “an embarrassment.”
“The party puts itself out there as a protector of children,” Gallé said. “I can’t express how disappointed I am that the Louisiana Republican Party has chosen to endorse a candidate with not one, not two, not three, but four criminal charges of cruelty to children.”
“GOP = Genitally Obsessed Puritans.”
When the story broke on Reddit, it yielded a bevy of responses
One reader exclaimed, “GOP = Genitally Obsessed Puritans.”
“All gaslighting and projection and nothing but, this guy is a danger to children.” was voiced by another user.
Another had a request: “Check his hard drive, please.”
“Bring back stockades, so people stop the public lies. Shame them” was the opinion of a reader.
A different perspective came from someone else: “Classic scapegoating. It’s scary that this diversionary tactic has been working for kiloyears.”
“This is called a red herring.” was the simple comment from another Reddit user.
“Radical Woke Transgender Agenda”
A member of the Louisiana Republican Party’s state central committee, Raymond has repeatedly testified before the state legislature in favor of restricting access to “sexually explicit” material in public libraries, allowing teachers to misgender trans and nonbinary students, and restricting discussion of sexual orientation and gender identity in classrooms.
His campaign website claims that “there is an epidemic of inappropriate sexual grooming and social engineering that is taking place in public schools.” It promises that “if John Raymond is elected as State Representative for District 104, he will remain vigilant against this wave of transgender confusion seeking to dominate our culture and confuse our children.” He promises to protect children from the “radical woke transgender agenda.”
The post “I Love Children” Says Headmaster and Minister Running for Office – Allegedly Kids in His Care Were Whipped, Held Upside Down and Had Their Mouths Taped Shut first appeared on The Net Worth Of.
Featured Image Credit: Shutterstock / fizkes
Source: Shreveport Times