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John Slidell mugshot and 2002 Survivor composite
Images via Slidell Police Department/CBS

‘I’m innocent’: Former ‘Survivor’ contestant John Raymond addresses felony charges

Slidell is accused of holding his hand over a student's mouth until he passed out.

Former Survivor: Thailand contestant Pastor John Raymond is on trial for taping three students mouths shut at Lakeside Christian Academy, a school Raymond founded in Slidell, LA. According to Louisiana news outlet, WDSU, Raymond has now responded to the accusations.

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In addition to the three first-degree child-cruelty charges, Raymond also faces a second-degree cruelty charge for placing his hand over a 4-year-old’s mouth, causing the student to lose consciousness. He also allegedly forced the other children with tape over their mouths to return to class, humiliating them, the prosecution said. Raymond and Joseph Long, his attorney, have blamed “cancel culture” for the charges, according to NOLA.com.

“Make no mistake, folks, this country is in the middle of a culture war,” Long said in court. “In Europe, parents can’t even physically discipline their children anymore. It’s coming. This is government overreach,” Long said. According to Long, Raymond’s actions were protected on religious grounds and appropriate for the situation. Parents should also have the right to use corporal punishment on their children, Long added.

‘I love all of our students’

https://twitter.com/EW/status/1836797551057551676
via Entertainment Weekly/X

John Raymond has admitted what he did but said he’s innocent of child cruelty. “I’ve never treated a child cruel in my life,” Raymond added, according to WDSU. “I’m innocent of the charges that are against me. I love all of our students. And we believe that the law will prevail, and we’ll be completely exonerated,” Raymond said.

Assistant District Attorney Christina Fisher told the jury there was no justification for how Raymond treated the students, which included hanging one student upside down by his ankles and then carrying the student up a flight of stairs. The Shreveport Times says Raymond is also accused of “whipping his buttocks.” Fisher said in court, “These are not acceptable forms of discipline in any way, shape, or form.” Fisher added that parents and the school principal disagreed with what Raymond did.

Raymond was the first contestant voted off his “Survivor” season

https://twitter.com/perksofbeingHC/status/1640085033196109828
via Heather/X

John Raymond was a Survivor contestant in 2002 and was the first person voted off that season. Referring to Raymond on the show, Jessica Shaw, writing for Entertainment Weekly called him, ” … the most irritating guy on the planet.” Of his short time on the series, Raymond told CBS News that year, “I think my comfort in the rugged environment maybe made some people uncomfortable.”

John Raymond’s child cruelty charges came amid Raymond’s Republican bid for the state House of Representatives in St. Tammany Parish where Slidell is located. Despite the charges against him, the Louisiana GOP has endorsed Raymond for the seat. Raymond founded Lakeside Christian Academy in 2016 and served as headmaster of the school until 2022 when the cruelty charges were brought against him. Raymond also owns a Christian radio station and is reportedly still the lead minister of New Horizon Church in Slidell.

Raymond addressed his legal problems at least once before in a 2023 interview with the USA Today Network. Raymond blamed the accusations on a disgruntled former employee at the school, and added, “I’m completely innocent of these charges and confident I’ll be fully exonerated in a fair judicial process. 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.”


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William Kennedy
William Kennedy is a full-time freelance content writer and journalist in Eugene, OR. William covered true crime, among other topics for Grunge.com. He also writes about live music for the Eugene Weekly, where his beat also includes arts and culture, food, and current events. He lives with his wife, daughter, and two cats who all politely accommodate his obsession with Doctor Who and The New Yorker.