Pastor Defends Taping Mouths Of Students Shut, Claims They Bullied Teacher

A Louisiana pastor who was also the headmaster of Lakeside Christian Academy is defending himself after being arrested for taping several students' mouths shut.

John Raymond, 60, was arrested last week and charged with three counts of cruelty to juveniles. The Slidell Police Department said that Raymond used packing tape to cover the mouths of five 13-year-old students because they were talking too much. He wrapped the tape around their heads and then sent them back to class. After 45 minutes, another administrator at the school used scissors to cut the tape away.

"During the encounter, the students claim they had trouble breathing and that the removal process was painful," police said in a statement on Facebook.

Raymond pushed back against the claims made by the police in a statement posted on the school's website. He claims that the students were bullying their teacher to the point that she was in tears and threatened to quit. He said they chose to have their mouths taped shut instead of getting suspended.

Raymond said that he used a single piece of scotch tape and "carefully placed it over their mouths, making sure that it did not touch their nose or interfere with their breathing."

"After the tape was applied, I asked all the students, 'Are any of you in pain or hurting in any way?' They unanimously shook their heads no. I asked, 'Can you all breathe normally?' They unanimously shook their heads yes. At any time, the students could have easily removed the tape by simply pulling it off," Raymond explained.

He then sent them back to class and told the school's principal about the incident. She was not comfortable with what Raymond did. Several minutes later, the two of them went back to the classroom and carefully removed the tape from the students' mouths.

Raymond noted that the families of three students were pressing charges, while the families of the other two students were supportive of the disciplinary measures.