A Saskatoon jury has convicted Duff Arthur Friesen, 68, of assaulting three former students at a private Christian school using a wooden paddle. Friesen, the former principal of Christian Centre Academy, was found guilty on three counts of assault with a weapon following the trial. The assault charges involved Andrew Watson, Robynne Randall, and Jillian Kudryk, while Friesen was acquitted on counts related to Coy Nolin and Sean Kotelmach.
During the trial, the jury members were individually polled on each count. Initially, one juror dissented, voting not guilty on all five counts. However, upon further deliberation, the jury returned with a unanimous guilty verdict as delivered by the foreperson. The school, formerly known as Christian Centre Academy, later changed its name to Legacy Christian Academy, now operating as Valour Academy, closely affiliated with Encounter Church, formerly known as Mile Two Church.
Justice Daryl Labach of the Court of King’s Bench provided legal instructions to the jury and reviewed the evidence before their deliberation. The school and church were housed in the same building on Pinehouse Drive in Saskatoon, with students attending both institutions. Labach explained the school’s strict regulations, which included restrictions on music, books, and movies, along with a disciplinary system involving demerits, cautions, and paddling known as “scriptural discipline.”
According to witness testimony, students faced escalating levels of discipline, with paddles resembling small cricket bats used as a form of punishment. The severity of paddling increased based on the student’s level, with refusal to be paddled resulting in expulsion. The prosecution needed to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the assault occurred in Saskatoon, involved intentional force by Friesen, lack of student consent, Friesen’s knowledge of the lack of consent, and the use of a weapon.
One of the complainants, Sean Kotelmach, testified that Friesen paddled him multiple times during his teenage years. Kotelmach described the physical and emotional toll of the paddling, including wearing multiple layers of underwear to soften the blows and enduring significant pain and emotional distress.
In a separate trial last year, Friesen faced similar allegations and was acquitted on three assault counts but convicted on one related to the 2003-04 school year, resulting in a six-month community-based sentence. Friesen is one of several individuals associated with the school facing criminal charges following complaints from former students.
John Olubobokun, a former director at the school, was convicted of multiple assault charges and received community-based sentences. Ken Schultz, another former staff member, is awaiting trial on assault and sexual assault charges. Additionally, Aaron Benneweis, a former coach, pleaded guilty to charges of sexually assaulting a student.
Former students have initiated a proposed class-action lawsuit against Mile Two Church, former employees, and representatives, seeking damages exceeding $25 million. The lawsuit, initially dismissed due to procedural issues, was reinstated following an appeal ruling in favor of the former students by the Saskatchewan Court of Appeal.