Former students of Legacy Christian Academy allege corporal punishment such as paddling, coercion, exorcism, and solitary confinement.
Lisa Joy
SASKTODAY
August 25, 2023
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SASKATOON – Four former employees of Legacy Christian Academy in Saskatoon had appearances in Saskatoon Provincial Court on charges ranging from sexual assault to assault with a weapon.
Kenneth R. Schultz, 74, of Saskatoon appeared Aug. 21 on charges of sexual assault and assault with a weapon. He is back in court Sept. 12. Schultz turned himself into Saskatoon Police Service (SPS) on July 25.
Duff Arthur Friesen, 65, of Prince Albert, and John Olubobukun, 63, of Saskatoon, are back in Saskatoon court Sept. 14. Friesen is charged with 11 counts of assault with a weapon, and Olubobukun is charged with 12 counts of assault with a weapon. They turned themselves into SPS on June 15 and June 22, respectively.
Aaron Travis Benneweis, 46, of Edmonton, Alta., is back in Saskatoon court Aug. 30 to face charges of sexual assault and sexual exploitation of a minor while in a position of trust or authority. He turned himself into SPS on Jan. 31.
The charges against the four men are a result of an investigation by SPS Interpersonal Violence Section. They say that in August 2022, a report was made to them alleging sexual assaults at Legacy Christian Academy between 2008 and 2012. The victim, a minor at the time, and the accused were known to one another through their affiliation with the Saskatoon faith-based institution.
Legacy Christian Academy is a kindergarten to Grade 12 independent church school that was founded in 1982 and originally called Christian Centre Academy. It is located in Saskatoon’s north end and is associated with Mile Two Church, a non-denominational church.
In August 2022, Saskatchewan Education Minister Dustin Duncan announced regulatory changes to increase accountability of qualified independent schools in response to abuse allegations about Legacy Christian Academy. The province also increased the number of unscheduled supervised visits to all independent schools.
The province’s actions came before charges were laid against the four accused former staff and after CBC broke a story that former students had filed a civil lawsuit against Legacy Christian Academy alleging corporal punishment such as paddling, coercion, exorcism, and solitary confinement.
The charges against the accused haven’t been tested in court.
-With files from John Cairns.
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