Duff Friesen, the former principal of Christian Centre Academy, faced sentencing in Saskatoon where the Crown prosecutor advocated for jail time due to an assault on a student two decades ago. On the other hand, Friesen’s defense lawyer pushed for a conditional discharge that would entail no custody time and no criminal record if specific conditions are met. Following a conviction on one assault count in May by a Saskatoon Court of King’s Bench jury, Friesen was acquitted of three other charges. During the sentencing submissions, Crown prosecutor Sheryl Fillo recommended an eight-month jail term followed by two years of probation. The final decision was left to Judge Natasha Crooks, who deferred it until December 18.
The trial evidence, including any victim impact statements for sentencing, could not be published due to a court-ordered ban as Friesen faces a second jury trial in September 2026. Additionally, Friesen is confronted with seven assault charges stemming from his time at Christian Centre Academy, later renamed Legacy Christian Academy and then Valour Academy, closely affiliated with Mile Two Church, presently known as Encounter Church. Friesen is one of three individuals connected to the institution facing assault allegations, with former students alleging the use of a wooden paddle by some school leaders in the early 2000s.
In a related case, John Olubobokun, a former school director, was convicted of assaulting students with a wooden paddle and was recently handed an 18-month jail sentence to be served in the community. Olubobokun is scheduled for a second trial starting on December 2, facing two assault counts related to his time at the school. Another former director and vice-principal at Christian Centre Academy, Ken Schultz, is facing charges of assault with a weapon for allegedly striking students with a wooden paddle and sexual assault during the same period. Schultz has two trials scheduled, one in May 2026 and the other in June 2026.
In July, a Saskatoon judge dismissed a $25-million class action lawsuit filed in 2022 against Legacy Christian Academy and Mile Two Church, citing the plaintiffs’ failure to disclose previous settlement agreements with three named defendants.