1st of 2 jury trials begins for former principal of Saskatoon private Christian school accused of assault

Dan Zakreski · CBC News

· Posted: May 12, 2025 5:01 PM EDT | Last Updated: 9 minutes ago

The erstwhile main of a backstage Christian schoolhouse successful Saskatoon is getting his time successful court.

Duff Arthur Friesen's jury proceedings astatine Court of King's Bench earlier Justice Natasha Crooks began Monday successful Saskatoon. Friesen is facing 11 counts of assault, each stemming from allegations that, arsenic main of Legacy Christian Academy successful the 2003-2004 schoolhouse year, he hit students with a woody paddle.

The schoolhouse has since changed its sanction to Valour Academy.

Seven days person been acceptable aside this period for the trial. It volition woody with 4 of the charges, with the remaining 7 examined successful a abstracted assemblage proceedings successful September.

• Lawyers marque closing arguments astatine battle proceedings for erstwhile manager astatine Saskatoon Christian school

Crooks granted a work prohibition requested by Friesen. Her bid prevents reporting connected "any grounds led, submissions made, exhibits filed, oregon unfortunate interaction statements successful the lawsuit sentencing is required," she wrote April 7.

"To beryllium clear, this work prohibition does not widen to the verdict rendered successful the May Jury Trial, immoderate plea which whitethorn beryllium entered successful narration to the charges, nor to immoderate condemnation which whitethorn beryllium imposed by the Court."

In his application, Friesen argued that ongoing media sum of the proceedings this period whitethorn prejudice the assemblage successful the September trial.

Crooks agreed that the proximity of the upcoming proceedings "and the highly publicized quality of this lawsuit increases the hazard of bias among the imaginable assemblage pool."