Former Legacy Christian Academy principal applies to keep assault trial out of the press

(Chad Hills / CTV News)

The former principal of a school ensnared in a web of abuse allegations is applying to keep the details of his assault trial from the public.

Duff Friesen is charged with 11 counts of assault with a weapon for incidents alleged to have occurred while he was the principal of Legacy Christian Academy, a private school based in Saskatoon that’s now known as Valour Academy.

In the Jan. 18 notice of application, Friesen’s lawyer Daniel Mol argues the extensive media coverage associated with the case and related cases could result in prejudice among potential jurors in his trial, scheduled for May 12 to 21. Mol wants a judge to put the details of the trial under a publication ban.

“These media appearances include inflammatory language and attacks on the reputation of the religious community and school where the offences are alleged to have taken place,” Mol writes in the application, heard by a King’s Bench judge on Wednesday.

“The Saskatoon media market, from which the jury pool at both trials will be drawn, has been saturated with media coverage of circumstances relating to the offences charged. It is realistic to believe that all potential jurors will have been exposed to this media coverage and that there is a realistic possibility this media coverage may result in prejudice against the accused.”

Former Legacy Christian Academy students went to police in 2021 and 2022, alleging they were subject to physical abuse at the school. The investigation was later turned over to the Crown prosecutor.

Those students also launched a $25 million class-action lawsuit in 2022 against the school, the affiliated Mile Two Church and the provincial government, suing for damages for years of alleged physical, sexual and emotional abuse. Those allegations have not been proven in court.

Several other people once affiliated with the school or affiliated church faced criminal charges through the disclosures of former students, including a former gym teacher who pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting a minor and a former Mile Two Church elder who faces sexual assault charges.

According to Friesen’s lawyer, those separate charges and the flurry of media coverage have had “the effect of associating Mr. Friesen in the public mind with accusation and innuendos not related to the charges against him.”

In an affidavit supporting the application, Mol’s paralegal Trena Gilmore includes screenshots of Google search results for terms including “Duff Friesen Saskatchewan,” “Legacy Christian Academy Saskatoon,” and “gay exorcism Saskatoon.”

“I believe based on my review … that the context within which the charges against Mr. Friesen arose has been the subject of hundreds of media items in recent years, going back to at least 2022,” Gilmore wrote.

If successful, media will be barred from publishing evidence, arguments and the verdict of Friesen’s trial.

-This is a developing story. More details to come.