Mile Two Church Inc. Class Action
Scharfstein LLP are representing the claimants which include:
- Former students who attended the School now known as Legacy Christian Academy, which was previously known as Christian Centre Academy, in the City of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan; and
- Former minor attendees of the Church now known as Mile Two Church, previously known as Saskatoon Christian Centre.
The Statement of Claim was issued on August 8, 2022. The next step will be collecting information, and certification of the claim as a class action on behalf of all minors who attended Legacy Christian Academy, Christian Centre Academy, Saskatoon Christian Centre, and/or Mile Two Church from 1982 to present.
If you are a former student of Legacy Christian Academy, Christian Centre Academy, or attended Mile Two Church or Saskatoon Christian Centre while you were a minor, and experienced or observed sexual, physical, emotional and/or spiritual abuse and want to join this class action, please contact us by completing our intake form below. Please complete the intake form and either drop it off at our office, or email the completed electronic form to Chelsey Kuspira at ckuspira@scharfsteinlaw.com. By submitting this form you authorize us to contact you in relation to the class action.
If you wish to disclose additional information after submitting our Intake and Assessment Form, feel free to do so by submitting additional information in electronic form to Chelsey Kuspira at ckuspira@scharfsteinlaw.com. You may do so by completing another Intake and Assessment Form. If you do, please indicate that you have previously submitted an Intake and Assessment Form.
Intake forms are an important element of collecting information to ensure that the Statement of Claim covers all of the abusive conducted against children at the Mile Two Church, in both the church and school. Information will not be shared outside of our office without the express permission of the person who provided it. When we request permission to use the information we will also advise of the purpose for which the information will be used or shared.
Latest Developments
August 8, 2022
A Statement of Claim was issued, commencing a claim against Mile Two Church Inc., and the following employees, agents and representatives of Mile Two Church Inc.: Keith Johnson, John Olubobokun, Ken Schultz, Nathan Rysavy, Duff Friesen, Lynette Wheeler, Joel Hall, Fran Thevenot, Lou Brunelle, James Randall, Tracey Johnson, Simbo Olubobokun, Elaine Schultz, Catherine Randall, Kevin MacMillan, Anne MacMillan, Dawn Beaudry, Nathan Schultz, Aaron Benneweis, Deidre Benneweis, Stephanie Case, and other presently unidentified John Does and Jane Does.
August 19, 2022
The Saskatchewan Advocate for Children and Youth released a Statement that they are “troubled by allegations of abuse in the Legacy Christian Schools”. To access the Media Release from the Saskatchewan Advocate for Children and Youth website please follow this link:
August 22, 2022
The Saskatchewan Ministry of Education has appointed administrators to three Qualified Independent Schools. To access the Media Release from the Saskatchewan Ministry of Education website please follow this link:
August 26, 2022
The Saskatchewan Ministry of Education has announced that Grace Christian School’s director “refused to cooperate” with the appointed Administrator and therefore “the Minister of Education cancelled Grace Christian Schoolâs Certificate of Registration in the public interest as the Director is a named defendant in the current litigation.”
August 30, 2022
The Saskatchewan Advocate for Children and Youth have opened an investigation into “Services and Oversight in Registered Independent Schools”. To access the Media Release from the Saskatchewan Advocate for Children and Youth website please follow this link:
Children’s Advocate Media Release
September 2, 2022
Living Skies Regional Council, being the United Church of Canada in the treaty territories of Saskatchewan, issued a statement regarding recent abuses in Saskatchewan Christian institutions. This statement can be found at the following link:
October 24, 2022
The Honourable Mr. Justice N. Bardai has been appointed as the certification Judge in this action.
November 25, 2022
Living Skies Regional Council, being the United Church of Canada in the treaty territories of Saskatchewan, issued an open letter regarding Legacy Christian Academy and Associated Threats and Violence. This open letter can be found at the following link:
December 12, 2022
The Statement of Claim in this matter has been amended to include the following new parties as defendants in this action: Darcy Schuster, Randy Donauer, John Thuringer, and The Government of Saskatchewan.
February 3, 2023
News Reports have confirmed that Aaron Benneweis is the individual that was arrested and charged with sexual assault and sexual exploitation of a minor while in a position of trust or authority arising from his time as Athletic Director with Christian Centre Academy.
June 15, 2023
News Reports have confirmed that Duff Friesen is the individual that was arrested and charged with 11 counts of Assault with a Weapon arising from an investigation into historical assaults with faith-based affiliations. Duff Friesen was a teacher and principal at Christian Centre Academy before serving as principal at Regent Academy in Prince Albert.
Saskatoon Police Service News Release
June 22, 2023
News Reports have confirmed that John Olubobokun is the individual that was arrested and charged with 12 counts of Assault with a Weapon arising from an investigation into historical assaults with faith-based affiliations.
October 31, 2023
Documents
Statement of Claim
View DocumentSubstitutional Service Order (Johnson)
View DocumentAppointment of Certification Judge - Order
View DocumentAmended Statement of Claim
View DocumentRequest for Particulars (Thuringer)
View DocumentNotice of Application (Delay Defences)
View DocumentReply to Request for Particulars (Thuringer)
View DocumentRequest for Particulars (Government of Saskatchewan)
View DocumentFiat - Procedural Order
View DocumentRequest for Particulars (T Johnson)
View DocumentOpening Noting for Default - Order
View DocumentReply to Request for Particulars (Government of Saskatchewan)
View DocumentReply to Request for Particulars (T Johnson)
View DocumentSecond Amended Statement of Claim
View DocumentSubstitutional Service Fiat (Johnson)
View DocumentSubstitutional Service Order (Johnson)
View DocumentDefences Not Required Prior to Certification Hearing - Order
View DocumentFAQ
What is a class action?
A Class Action is a special type of lawsuit that has a representative plaintiff or plaintiffs that are named in the lawsuit as the complainants but represent a much larger group of complainants. A Class Action lawsuit allows a group of complainants that have suffered the same kind of harm or damages arising out of similar circumstances to band together and make a single claim against the alleged wrongdoer or wrongdoers, instead of each complainant having to make individual claims against the alleged wrongdoer or wrongdoers.
What does certification mean?
After a Statement of Claim has been filed with the Court in a Class Action lawsuit, the next step is to have the Class Action âcertifiedâ. The certification process is one where the Court provides some oversight and determines if the complainants are sufficiently related, and the lawsuit is appropriate to proceed by way of the Class Action process. This process usually takes several months or even years, and the Statement of Claim, including who makes up the proposed âclassesâ of plaintiffs, can go through several changes as directed by the Court.
How do I know if I am a Class Member?
The best way to determine if you are a member of one of the classes of plaintiffs is to fill out the Intake Form and provide it to Scharfstein LLP. The determination of the class members will include a review of your personal information and the âclassâ descriptions approved through the certification process.
Can I opt out of a class action and pursue an independent claim?
Yes. Any person that qualifies as a âclassâ member can choose to opt out of this class action and choose to proceed against any or all of the defendants by themselves through the regular Court process. The requirements for opting out of this class action, including timelines etc., will be determined through the certification process.
Will there be any cost to class members for legal fees?
One of the major benefits of a Class Action lawsuit is that class members are not required to pay any upfront fees or other costs associated with the case. Class actions are often handled on a contingency fee basis. This means that the lawyers for the class only get paid if the lawsuit is successful (i.e., if a settlement is reached or a favourable verdict is achieved at trial). Lawyers representing the class will be paid a portion of the recovery. The terms of payment, fee structure, and other matters must be in writing and mutually agreed upon by the class counsel and the representative plaintiffs. Court approval of the agreement is also required.