Text messages confirm ‘campaign’ to ruin him
By KEVIN CHIRI
Slidell news bureau
COVINGTON – When Slidell Pastor John Raymond was convicted last September on cruelty to juvenile charges, stemming from actions at his school Lakeside Christian Academy, it was clear that District Attorney Collin Sims had won the case by using a barrage of former employees from the school, along with other witnesses, to tell similar stories—all that painted Raymond as a tyrant and all-around bad person who had harmed children.
The strategy by Sims worked perfectly when the 12-member jury returned four guilty verdicts in less than one hour, coming in a case that Raymond’s attorney thought he had won on the basis of no pain or suffering to the kids was clearly proven.
That unified testimony against Raymond was the key evidence the Slidell pastor highlighted in last week’s court hearing for a new trial. But Raymond said there was a bigger story behind the individual testimonies that never was presented clearly at the trial—something he felt was critical to bring about an innocent verdict.
“By the end of the trial, there was a wheelbarrow full of evidence the jury needed to hear to show why all these people were saying such bad things about me,” he said during time on the witness stand last week. “Other evidence should have been introduced that was critical to get out, and I would have brought it out if I had gotten to testify.”
Heading a private school that Raymond had founded brought its share of challenges, the trial revealed, since Raymond had no previous experience owning and operating his own school. Much of those deficiencies were proven at the trial by Sims, with almost no certified teachers on staff, and a lack of organized procedures that opened the door to problems. It led to personnel issues, some firings, and plenty of disgruntled employees who later ended up on the witness stand in his trial.
At the trial, Sims paraded through a host of former employees from the school who told about the taping incident and the second-degree charge involving a 4-year-old boy who had daily temper tantrums, leading to the day when Raymond covered his mouth for a short time and cut off his air supply. With each witness making allegations about the situation, many with emotion and tears, the jury was clearly being convinced the pastor should be found guilty.
Testimony also brought out the fact that two of those same teachers, Fallon Lassere and Gail Greco, were later fired when it was discovered they had fraudulently signed administrative letters for each other to receive raises, without going to Raymond for approval.
After Lassere was fired, her husband, Felix Lassere, was called the “ringleader using Social Media in a campaign to ruin me,” said Raymond.
The situation between Raymond and Felix Lassere became so heated through Social Media, e-mails and text messages that Raymond finally went to the police and was granted a protective order against Lassere.
Raymond provided text message evidence at the hearing that Lassere said, “I will make it my life’s work to see that you and your colt (cult) you disguised as a church goes to ZERO! I will run a campaign until this is done.”
Considering the issues Raymond had with Fallon Lassere, Greco and other former employees or those who were now suing Raymond and the school over the cruelty to juvenile charges, Raymond contended it later became an organized effort to ruin him with testimony at the trial.
“I gave Joe all that information, but he used very little of it,” Raymond told the court. “It was the weakest defense in the history of courts.” He went on to state that the long list of individuals who testified so negatively against him led Long to sum up the issue of Raymond not testifying as, “jurors that hate you won’t change their mind.”
Felix Lassere went so far as to start a Facebook page called Christians in St. Tammany against John Raymond, which reportedly played a part in the negative witness statements against him, “especially since the public was being told I was trying to kill a child,” he said.
“That part of the story, which explained why all these witnesses testified against me, needed to be explained to the jury, and I believe that would have completely changed my perception in the minds of the jurors. I have spent my life coaching kids, helping kids—I still love all the kids involved in this situation,” he added. “But the texts and stuff on Social Media were pivotal. I was even being called the anti-Christ by Felix.”
Felix Lassere was never called as a witness in the trial and while the remarks about Raymond were mentioned at trial, they were not used by Long in the way Raymond believed to be critical to defend his actions.
While most witnesses painted a picture of Raymond as an evil person hurting children, the other side of the taping incident was documented quite differently when Scott Bader, Sr. took the stand. He is the father of one of the boys who had tape put over his mouth, but declined to press charges with the police, and refused to take part in the lawsuit the others now have against Raymond.
“When my son told me what took place, I didn’t think it was criminal at all, and that’s why I didn’t go to the police, or join the lawsuit, which many of the other parents were trying to get me to do,” Bader said. “I entrusted my child to the school, and I trust that they made the right decision.”
Raymond’s opportunity on the witness stand gave him the chance to tell the details of the charges from his perspective, however, when he stated he had called the parents the next day, one father whose son was taped erupted in the courtroom and stormed out, followed by a grandfather of another taped boy who yelled back at Raymond, saying, “I called you!” to refute Raymond’s remark that he had called them first.
Judge John Keller said in his closing remarks to decline the new trial request by acknowledging the fact that some of the evidence not presented during the trial “had some value, but it wasn’t enough to warrant a new trial.”