Warning: This article contains details that some readers may find disturbing.
Saskatchewan’s education minister says cabinet has approved a number of regulation changes for independent schools, including appointing an administrator for a private Saskatoon school facing abuse claims, as well as two other schools.
This comes after multiple students have come forward with allegations of physical and sexual abuse while they attended the Legacy Christian Academy.
A class action lawsuit for $25 million has been launched against Mile Two Church Inc. that operates LCA and police have also confirmed they are investigating.
None of the allegations have been proven in court.
Minister Dustin Duncan said the allegations are “troubling” and announced Thursday morning that three qualified independent schools, including LCA, will also see an increase in unannounced, supervised inspections – up to 10 per school year from three previously.
Duncan said over the last number of weeks, the government has identified some gaps in independent school regulations.
The government has faced scrutiny from former students and the Official Opposition for their handling of the situation.
Duncan said independent schools will also now have to notify the minister within 24 hours once they are aware that the school or someone working at the school is subject to a criminal investigation.
“The new regulations will also allow me to appoint an administrator in the event that there are allegations that will require additional administration or supervision of an independent school in the province,” Duncan told reporters.
An administrator will be appointed to Legacy Christian Academy, Regent Academy and Grace Christian School.
“There are three individuals named in the statement of claim that are associated with those three schools in operation today, and so those are the three schools that will have an administrator,” Duncan said.
Duncan said once the government received a copy of the statement of claim filed against Mile Two Church Inc., he directed the ministry to forward the names of the defendants to the Saskatchewan Professional Teachers Regulatory body to ensure they had the names of any licensed teachers named in the statement of claim.
Cody Nolin, one of the plaintiffs, said one thing that made him come forward with allegations of abuse is that the school is receiving government funding.
Duncan estimated Legacy Christian Academy has received around $700,000 in the last couple of years from the provincial government, which began providing some funding for qualified independent schools in 2012.
“Honestly, it’s just like really? My tax dollars are now supporting this, that abused me for all those years — that’s just unacceptable,” Nolin told Global News.
Nolin, who attended the school from 1996 until 2004, alleges he was paddled “a lot” during his time there.
In one alleged instance, Nolin said he was paddled in the administrator’s office and didn’t cry
He claimed during an interview with Global News he was then taken to the washroom by the youth pastor and alleges he was “forced to pull down” his pants to have his underwear checked for padding.
Nolin said the changes Duncan announced Thursday are “like trying to put a band-aid on a gaping wound.”
“He has yet to sit down and talk to a single one of the victims,” Nolin said.
For Nolin, he’d like to see the school shut down.
At this point, Duncan said the school — which has about 180 students registered — will open up again in September.
“In the event that there are other issues that come to light or in the event that there are criminal charges and prosecutions and convictions — then obviously we’d have to take a look at what options are available. But at this point, the school will open.”
Grant Scharfstein, lead attorney on the civil lawsuit, said he thinks an investigation of the school needs to take place before it’s reopened following summer holidays.
“When we reviewed the current staffing at that Legacy Christian Academy, we determined close to 60 per cent of the staff that’s there were either staff when these complaints were made or students who were aware of what was going on,” Scharfstein told Global News.
“So we’re very concerned that they’re still there and that school remains open.”
As of this time, Scharfstein’s firm said as of Thursday morning, 39 individuals have come forward to join the claim and more have reached out throughout the day.
On Thursday, NDP education critic Matt Love renewed a call for an independent inquiry into the government’s handling of the situation.
“Saskatchewan NDP want to continue our call to immediately freeze funding to this school and as well to ensure anybody included in these allegations is not working with children and youth in Saskatchewan,” Love told reporters.
— with a file from Global News’ Brody Langager
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