Jury acquits former Legacy Christian Academy principal accused of paddling students on 3 of 4 charges

Dan Zakreski · CBC News

· Posted: May 21, 2025 9:32 PM EDT | Last Updated: 7 hours ago

A assemblage has acquitted Duff Arthur Friesen, the erstwhile main of Legacy Christian Academy successful Saskatoon, connected 3 of 4 battle charges aft helium was accused of hitting students with a woody paddle 2 decades ago.

The six men and six women connected the assemblage deliberated for astir 5 hours Wednesday earlier delivering the verdict to Justice Natasha Crooks astatine Court of King's Bench.

There is simply a court-ordered prohibition connected publishing immoderate grounds from the proceedings due to the fact that Friesen has a 2nd assemblage trial, connected 7 akin charges, acceptable for September.

Friesen's lawyer, Daniel Mol, said extracurricular tribunal that helium would beryllium appealing the 1 blameworthy count.

Friesen declined to comment.

He faced a full of 11 counts of assault, each stemming from allegations that, arsenic main of the backstage Christian school in the 2003-04 schoolhouse year, he hit students with a woody paddle.

The schoolhouse has since changed its sanction to Valour Academy.

Mol and authoritative Sheryl Fillo volition beryllium backmost successful tribunal connected June 23 to acceptable a day for sentencing arguments.