Latest news with #MileTwoChurch
CTV News
11-06-2025
- Business
- CTV News
Saskatoon judge dismisses $25M lawsuit against Christian school, church
A Saskatoon Court of King's Bench judge has dismissed a $25-million class action lawsuit against Mile Two Church and its associated private Christian school. Justice Rochelle Wempe dismissed the civil suit in a written decision on June 3. When the lawsuit was launched in August 2022, it named 22 defendants and alleged systemic abuse of students at the church and school — formerly known as Legacy Christian Academy. Wempe ruled there was 'abuse of process.' In her decision, she said the plaintiffs failed to 'immediately' disclose settlement agreements with three defendants. According to Wempe, plaintiffs settled with Stephanie Case in November of 2023, and Fran Thevenot and Tracy Johnson in February of 2024. Claims against four other named defendants were also dropped. Wempe wrote defendants were informed about the settlement agreements five months after Case signed and two months after Thevenot and Johnson signed. She noted they were only made aware of the settlements because Mile Two's lawyers made 'repeated requests for information from plaintiffs.' She said the settlement agreements 'significantly' altered the litigation landscape. Wempe said the terms of agreement stated the settling defendants would provide testimony and affidavits and would not take any formal 'adversarial position against the plaintiffs.' 'The settlement agreements had the effect of them switching sides and cooperating with the plaintiffs,' Wempe wrote. The plaintiffs, represented by Scharfstein Law, argued Mile Two and the other defendants were not hurt by the failure to disclose the settlements. Wempe says no prejudice is required for the immediate disclosure rule to come into effect. The plaintiffs also argued that dismissing the lawsuit would be 'unfair and unjust' because there is no case law indicating that the immediate disclosure rule applies in Saskatchewan. 'While I have some sympathy for this argument, I note that there is significant case law from three provinces dating back to 2009 which has clearly set out the immediate disclosure rule in civil proceedings,' Wempe wrote. The plaintiffs filed a notice of appeal on Monday. The appeal argues Wempe erred in determining that the immediate disclosure rule for settlement agreements applies in Saskatchewan. The appeal also argues Wempe erred in determining that the legal test for abuse of process could be met without finding prejudice. 'Our clients were extremely disappointed in this decision, and we're going to push forward with the claim,' lawyer Grant Scharfstein told CTV News. Scharfstein said he's hoping the appeal will be heard by fall. CTV News reached out to the lawyers representing Mile Two Church Inc., but did not get a response by publishing time.
CBC
09-06-2025
- CBC
Judge dismisses $25M lawsuit against Saskatoon Christian church, school, citing abuse of process
Social Sharing A Saskatoon judge has dismissed a $25-million class action lawsuit launched in 2022 against Legacy Christian Academy and Mile Two Church. Court of King's Bench Justice Rochelle Wempe stayed the suit in a written decision on June 3. The original statement of claim named 22 defendants and alleged systemic abuse of students at the school and church. Wempe dismissed the claim, citing abuse of process. "The plaintiffs in this matter failed to immediately disclose settlement agreements they reached with three named defendants," she wrote. "I also find the settlement agreements changed the adversarial landscape of the litigation by causing the settling defendants to switch sides." In the judgment, Wempe wrote that former Legacy Christian staffer Stephanie Case settled in November 2023, followed by Fran Thevenot and Tracey Johnson in February 2024. In roughly the same period, claims were also dropped against four others affiliated with the school and church. The three settlement agreements were not given to the remaining defendants until five months after Case signed, and two months after Thevenot and Johnson signed, and "only disclosed after Mile Two independently learned of the discontinuances and made repeated requests for information from the plaintiffs," Wempe wrote. These were not insignificant developments, she said. "The settlement agreements had the effect of them switching sides," she wrote. "The terms of the agreements specifically provided that the settling defendants would co-operate, make themselves available to the plaintiffs and their experts, provide affidavits and sworn responses to written interrogators, attend questioning, disclosure and production of documents, attend as a witness at trial and provide testimony which does not vary from their written responses." The plaintiffs said that Mile Two and the other defendants were not hurt by the failure to disclose the settlements. Wempe wrote that is not the point. "The cases in this regard are clear — no actual prejudice is required for the immediate disclosure rule to be triggered," she said. Scharfstein Law in Saskatoon is representing the plaintiffs. Grant Scharfstein said the firm drafted an appeal on June 9 and intend to file it that day. "The Chambers Judge erred in law in determining that the immediate disclosure rule for settlement agreements applies in Saskatchewan," the appeal notice said. It also said the judge "mixed fact and law" by determining that the settlement agreements "changed entirely the litigation landscapes."
CTV News
12-05-2025
- CTV News
Assault trial begins for Duff Friesen, former principal of Saskatoon's Legacy Christian Academy
The assault trial for a former principal of a private Christian school began at Saskatoon's Court of King's Bench on Monday. Duff Arthur Friesen, 67, is facing 11 charges of assault with a weapon. He is being tried on the first four charges now, and the other seven charges (by different complainants) in September. The alleged incidents happened while Friesen was a principal at the then-called Christian Centre Academy. The school — operated by Mile Two Church — rebranded as Legacy Christian Academy, and most-recently as Valour Academy. In 2021 and 2022, former students went to police alleging physical abuse by staff. Friesen was working as a principal at Prince Albert's Regent Academy when he turned himself in to Saskatoon police on June 15, 2023. On Nov. 16, 2023 Friesen pleaded not guilty to the 11 counts of assault with a weapon. Jury selection for Friesen's trial began Monday. Justice Natasha Crooks granted Friesen's request for a publication ban. The publication ban prevents reporting of all evidence, lawyers' arguments, exhibits filed and possible victim-impact statements. Journalists are allowed to report on the court process, the verdict, and any sentence imposed — if Friesen is found guilty. The publication ban aims to protect the integrity of Friesen's second jury trial scheduled for Sept. 15.
