Paddles used in ‘certain’ cases, former CCA staff member testifies

Closing submissions and the start of jury deliberations are expected on Thursday in the assault trial of a former principal at a Christian school in Saskatoon.

Duff Arthur Friesen, 68, is charged with five counts of assault with a weapon. The offences are alleged to have occurred between 1997 and 2007 when Friesen was working at Christian Centre Academy in Saskatoon. The school later changed its name to Legacy Christian Academy and is now known as Valour Academy.

Lawyers are set to return to Court of King’s Bench on Thursday for closing arguments, after which time Justice Daryl Labach will give the jurors their final charge before sending them off to deliberate.

In the closing day of testimony, a former staff member at CCA testified that wooden paddles were used on students in “certain” cases for discipline.

Daniel Mol, the defence lawyer for Friesen, questioned Lou Brunelle on Monday about the discipline policy at the school during Brunelle’s time.

Brunelle told court he worked at CCA from 1989 to 2001, largely as an “administrative assistant” who was responsible for fundraising, “policy implementation” and discipline for students up to Grade 4. Brunelle said his administrative position was similar to that of a vice-principal.

Brunelle told Mol that prior to joining the private Christian school, he was employed in the Catholic system as a teacher for 10 years.

Brunelle in his testimony confirmed that paddles were used in “certain” cases for discipline. Specifically, he said, that happened in cases where the infraction involved what he called “stealing, lying, cheating.”

The defence witness was shown a number of photos while testifying, one being from a Maclean’s Magazine article from 1997. Brunelle testified the photo was of him holding a paddle.

He also said staff teaching at the school were not certified at the time, but said a number had university degrees.

During her cross examination, Crown prosecutor Sheryl Fillo questioned Brunelle about a second stint he had at the school from 2017 to 2022.

He testified his leaving the school in 2022 was due to his pre-planned retirement, not because of an investigation by the Saskatchewan Professional Teachers Regulatory Board into his conduct that had been underway.

Brunelle also confirmed he is a named defendant in a proposed $25 million class action lawsuit filed by former students against the school and its affiliated church, now known as Encounter Church. The legal action alleges students were subjected to abuse while attending both the school and church.

The Crown called its final witness last Friday. In total, five former students testified about being hit by Friesen with a wooden paddle.

Robynne Randall, the second Crown witness, said she was paddled by Friesen on one occasion. Randall said she knew she was going to be paddled after she did poorly on a school assignment. She said she remembered sitting in her classroom waiting for her named to be called over the intercom, and then being told to come to the school’s main office.

“They went in alphabetical order,” she said.

Randall said when she got to Friesen’s office, she was told she was being punished for “cheating.” She testified Friesen was in the office with another person. Randall said she was struck three times, and was left with with “large bruises.”

“It was painful to sit down,” she testified.

After the paddling, Randall said, she was hyperventilating and couldn’t stop crying. She said it took her 15 to 20 minutes to calm down in a bathroom before returning to class. She guessed half the class was paddled that day.

During cross-examination by the defence, Randall said she was paddled regularly at home. She said the act being a common one didn’t make it any less traumatic.

“Paddling is extreme and painful,” she said.