The Official Opposition’s Education Critic suggests that news of the Legacy Christian Academy closing its doors this summer is nothing but a rebrand. In a statement, Matt Love says he hopes any school that receives public funding should follow the Saskatchewan Human Rights Code. “The independent school has a history of abuse, and the Sask. Party still increased their funding more than our public, Catholic and French schools got.”
CTV News reports that a letter addressed to senior Ministry of Education official Kevin Gabel, says the Legacy Christian Academy (LCA) intends to close its doors as of June 30th and is looking at possibly renting the space to Westdale Christian School which plans to reopen in the fall. The school was formerly known as the Christian Centre Academy, which is at the centre of a $25 million civil lawsuit by a group of former students and four former staff have also been charged.
Last fall, a former coach, Aaron Benneweis, pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting a student and was sentenced this past January to two years less a day in jail. About 130 students have submitted their claims in the civil lawsuit against Mile Two Church, which runs the school. The students allege physical and sexual abuse. Two former principals, 65-year-old Duff Friesen and 63-year-old John Olubobokun are facing multiple counts of assault with a weapon and have pleaded not guilty.
Seventy-four-year-old Ken Schultz is facing charges of sexual assault and assault with a weapon and he too has pled not guilty.