A Louisiana pastor, headmaster of a Christian school, and former “Survivor” contestant John Raymond has been arrested for a second time on charges of cruelty towards a juvenile, the Daily Advertiser reports.
Raymond, 60, is also an elected member of the Louisiana Republican Party State Central Committee. According to Slidell Police, new allegations say he held a 4-year-old boy upside down by his ankles and “whipping his buttocks.” Witnesses say Raymond’s actions prevented the child from breathing “to the point of him going limp.” A staff member who witnesses the incident said the child was “out of it and lethargic” and “unable to stand.”
Raymond is the pastor of New Horizon Church in Slidell and founder of Lakeside Christian Academy.
In April, Raymond was arrested after he was accused of taping the mouths of students shut as punishment for talking too much. Parents said their children were brought by Raymond to his office and had their mouths shut with packing tape that wrapped around their heads.
According to reports, the children were sent back to class with the tape wrapped around their heads and mouths for 45 minutes “until another school administrator began feeling uncomfortable about the situation and used scissors to remove the tape.”
The children said the tape made it difficult for them to breathe. Police said the investigation is ongoing and they’re interviewing additional witnesses.
