Canadian True Crime - 142 The Legacy Christian Academy Scandal—Part 3

Episode Date: August 3, 2023

[ Part 3 of 3 ] The allegations result in criminal charges.#legacyofabuseContent Warning: This series is about allegations of physical, sexual, psychological and spiritual abuse of students and minors at their church-run Christian school. There is heavy focus on corporal punishment, details of grooming and sexual assault of minors, mention of anti-LGBTQ+ and racist rhetoric, mention of self-harm and suicidal ideation. While these allegations have resulted in criminal charges, they haven’t yet been proven or tested in court.More info:CLASS ACTION: See Latest info and download the Legal Statement of Claim [PDF]CBC News investigation: Exorcisms, violent discipline and other abuse alleged by former students of private Sask. Christian school | CBC News by Jason WarickView News clippings and other archival evidence downloaded [PDF]Follow Caitlin Erickson on Twitter and TiktokSubscribe to the Legacy of Abuse Podcast and follow on TikTok, Twitter, and PatreonDonate to the gofundme for the Legacy of Abuse Class Action Lawsuit.FULL LIST of resources, information sources, credits and music credits:See the page for this episode at www.canadiantruecrime.ca/episodesListen ad-free and early:CTC premium feeds are available on Amazon Music (included with Prime), Apple Podcasts, Patreon and Supercast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Canadian True Crime is a completely independent production, funded mainly through advertising. You can listen to Canadian True Crime ad-free and early on Amazon Music included with Prime, Apple podcasts, Patreon, and Supercast. The podcast often has disturbing content and course language. It's not for everyone. Please take care when listening. This is part three of a three-part series. All previous content warnings still apply because there are some new details in this episode that will be difficult to hear. Please take care when listening.

Where we left off, Caitlin Erickson and other former students had traveled to the Saskatchewan legislature to demand the government banned the accelerated Christian education curriculum. Although the trip made media headlines, it did not result in any action from the Minister of Education, who only months earlier had increased the amount of government funding to qualified independent schools from 50% to 75% of what public schools get. The class action lawsuit would be amended to include the Saskatchewan government, alleging that the Ministry of Education not only failed to ensure the safety and wellbeing of the students, but also their right to a proper public

education and continues to do so to this day. Among the allegations are that the Ministry ought to have been aware that the school taught and teachers are curriculum that is contrary to the goals of education forces scatuan. Goals which include things like recognizing the inherent worth and value of each individual, developing and maximizing their potential, fostering adaptability, respecting diversity and stilling responsibility, adapting to change, making informed decisions, respecting rights and property, and demonstrating integrity and fairness. It's a very long list.

The lawsuit would also be amended to include Saskatoon City Councillor Randi Denau, as a principal defendant, claiming that he was instrumental in the development and implementation of the policies and procedures undertaken by the church known as Mileto Church, which he is served as a person in a position of authority at church and school events like Sunday School and school camps. The statement of claim alleges Randy Denauer paddled one student for gossiping and making jokes, and threatened to beat children with a wooden paddle if they didn't praise the Lord more effectively by raising their hands, jumping up and down and singing louder. CBC News reported that Saskatoon residents were calling for the City Council's resignation. Randy Dinauer issued a response saying he will vigorously defend any legal

claims made against him. In the meantime, Caitlin Erickson had started a TikTok account to speak up about her experiences and it was becoming very popular. She was also becoming a media darling thanks to her calm, confident and articulate way of speaking on behalf of all the plaintiffs. But she was also being subjected to relentless harassment and trolling both online and off. Definitely a lot of us, more so myself and Koi, were really the brunt of a lot of online

harassment, which one person is actually being investigated by police right now for his Twitter comments at me saying that I enjoyed my sexual abuse when I was six. And he is a pastor. There's also a former student whose parent is named in the statement of claim who from a legal standpoint committed libel, and that basically implied that it was the victim's fault that we were offended against by our Sunday school teacher. One time she was followed to her vehicle by a man who identified himself as being associated with mild to church and verbally harassed her. She received anonymous emails telling her to stop talking to the press if you value your

life. One of them ended with a Bible verse, Hebrews 1229, which states, "'For our God is a consuming fire.'" In November 2022, Caitlyn's home was vandalized with a spray-painted Bible verse and someone tried to break in. So she and her children decided to stay somewhere else for the night and come back the next morning to feed the dogs. But they returned to a smoldering mess.

The house had been set on fire, displacing the family and completely destroying their belongings. Fortunately, the dogs had survived the fire, but their pet snake, hamsters, and geckos did not. Caitlin said she will not stop advocating for students who have experienced abuse. Quote, If they thought this was going to shut me up, that's not going to happen. Everything is going to continue to go forward. This is a lot bigger than us. Religious corruption has just been perpetuated decade after decade, and it doesn't need to continue happening for this generation.

In 2023, Caitlin and the other plaintiffs started receiving the news they were hoping for, criminal charges. The first person charged was former coach of sporting activities, 46-year-old Aaron Benowais, also described as the director of athletics. He was charged with sexual assault and sexual exploitation of a minor while in a position of trust or authority between 2008 and 2012. The statement of claim alleges the abuse occurred in the school van, in secluded rooms in the school and church, outside the school at his home, and on school trips out of town.

After she had the publication ban removed from her name, the former student came forward to tell her story to the media. Jennifer Bodry alleges her former coach, Aaron Bennerwise, began making eyes at her in 2008 when she was 13 years old and he was around 30. She said she didn't notice any other people in positions of authority looking at her like that. Jennifer excelled at sports and found herself spending one-on-one time with him after practice was over. She alleges that her first ever kiss was with him when she was 14 years old, and over the years he started calling her into his office to chat, which led to at least 10 inappropriate

secret meetups and sexual touching. Jennifer said she definitely felt awkward and uncomfortable, but because she'd received no education around consent, power dynamic sexual education or healthy relationships, she didn't know how to deal with the situation. Instead, she felt compelled to trust people in positions of authority and keep them happy, just as she'd been trained. Aaron Bennewise was married with children that Jennifer sometimes babysat, and she alleged he told her to keep their meeting secret

because his family life and career depended on it. In the spring of 2012, when Jennifer was 16 years old and in grade 11, she alleges Aaron Benowise approached her and suggested she go back to his place for lunch because he had the school van and his wife and kids weren't home. She said she laid down in the van and when they got to his home he led her to his bedroom and suggested she take off her shirt and pants. Jennifer alleged they were both in their underwear as he kissed her, pushed her onto his bed, and then touched her sexually. He started fiddling with her

bra class, but suddenly stopped. They got dressed and returned to school as if nothing happened. Jennifer told CBC News that she felt dirty and violated, but also felt like it was her responsibility to keep the secret so she didn't ruin his life. Eventually, she told a classmate, and church leadership ended up finding out. Pastor Keith Johnson called Jennifer and her parents into a meeting and asked them what was going on. Jennifer's mom, Dawn Bodry, says she was horrified to hear what happened. Pastor Keith Johnson told them that Aaron Bennerwise would be removed from the school and suggested

they report the allegations to police. But he had a request. Jennifer alleged he asked them to be gracious towards the coach, suggesting they told the police that Jennifer was 16 when it all started, instead of 13. Jennifer says that she and her family had been taught to abide by the church's guidance, and they didn't want to cause damage in the tight-knit church community, so they went to the police and did as they were told, telling them that Jennifer was 16 and not pushing for any further action.

Pastor Keith Johnson did remove the coach from the school as promised. Multiple sources told CBC News that Bannerwise and his family moved to Edmonton, where they connected with another church. But after the CBC investigation made headlines in August of 2022, Jennifer Bodry decided it was time to set the record straight, and she disclosed to the police that the alleged conduct actually occurred when she was under 16. When Aaron Benerwise was charged with sexual assault and sexual exploitation of a minor, Jennifer Bodry said she felt empowered. She'd spent years of

reflection and personal growth just to understand how those years harmed her and she feels one step closer to healing. If found guilty, Aaron Bennewise faces 10 years in prison. In response to contact by CBC News, his lawyer said, quote, based on related media coverage to date, Mr Bennewise is concerned about the accuracy of the reporting, but on my advice, he does not wish to be interviewed. Just a reminder again for legal reasons that none of the allegations we're speaking about today have been proven or tested in court.

Next to be charged with Duff Reason, former principal of the school known as Legacy Christian Academy, the 65-year-old was charged with 11 counts of historical assault with a weapon for allegations that included involvement with the incident in the Senior Girls Volleyball team. The statement of claim also includes an allegation that freezing bent 11-year-old chair and struck him hard on the buttocks three times for telling inappropriate jokes. Duff Freezin's son, Karen Freezin, is also a former student who wasn't inspired to speak out. He told CBC News that seeing the others come forward reassured him he wasn't alone. Karen freezing is transgender and spoke of being ashamed and confused about his identity throughout his time at the school.

He said gay and transgender students like him were left feeling traumatized and riddled with guilt. Quote, I always knew something was different. I couldn't talk about it because we were always told anything different was wrong. I was in constant fear. I couldn't be myself." Karen says that after he graduated, he engaged in self-harm and contemplated suicide, and

it took years for him to be proud of his identity. But he's now living happily in Edmonton with his partner and two kids. He is also estranged from his father, Duff Freason. Just before Duff Freason was arrested, Caitlin Erickson had an encounter with someone else at a coffee shop. He is how she described it in a TikTok. We were called by the police about three hours before

a deaf reason got arrested. So before I went to court, I went to one of my favorite coffee shops to get a celebratory carrot cake as one does. When I walked in, I saw one of the defendants that is listed in the statement of claim, and this person is also the father of the children's church worker who sexually abused me, that is listed in the statement of claim and this person is also the father of the children's church worker who sexually abused me and several other people. In that TikTok, Kaitlyn shows a snippet of video she took of the man in the coffee shop.

He is Ken Schultz, named as a principal defendant in the class action statement of claim as an alder of the church from 1982 until present. He is also a sometimes teacher, director and vice principal of the school, and over the decades has been quoted several times by the media as a representative of both the school and church. Now, I was waiting for my coffee and my carrot cake and this guy like actually walked all the way up to me and the point where I had to step aside and move or I don't know if he's gonna like just walk right up to me and smash into me but he did get physically close to me and then when he left he walked out the

door door closed then he came back like he walked like took two steps turn around open the door and just glare at me. To which I responded by telling everybody in the coffee shop why he's listed in the statement of fundamentalist Christianity for the star Phoenix, and quoted Ken Schultz as a dean or principal of the school now known as Legacy Christian Academy. Schultz confirmed the use of corporal punishment, saying the parents had signed consent forms acknowledging it as the scriptural approach to discipline. Again, this is 1988. The year the rules around corporal punishment were tightened up in Saskatchewan to stipulate that no child could be hit with

an implement in their school. It appears that school leadership mistakenly believed that parental consent could override the law, but it doesn't work that way. In the same article, Ken Schultz also confirmed that only three of the 16 supervisors and monitors who work directly with students at the time were actually certified teachers. He added, quote, The certification process has so little relevancy for me. You can certify a homosexual, but I don't think that person is qualified to teach my children." Ken Schultz was asked about his own background in qualifications. He confirmed that before

he became the dean or principal of the school three years earlier, he sold men's clothing in a downtown Saskatoon store. And as for qualifications, he said he had completed grade 12, as well as an intensive 50-hour training course offered by accelerated Christian education, in conjunction with attendance at annual seminars in Seattle. A search of the news archives shows that not only has Ken Schultz been quoted in the media, but he has also written many letters to the editor of the Star Phoenix. In 1993, the paper published his letter titled, Gay Rights Debate Getting Silly, where he insisted there are no gay people in his own family and he can prove it.

He went on to say, quote, Homosexuals can live any way they want. They cannot force their lifestyle on any portion of the public at public expense. To legislate it is the ultimate immorality. And a few years before that, the paper had published his letter titled, Private Church Schools Not Asking for Public Funding funding where he says, quote, private church schools are here to stay. We are no threat to anyone except those hiding behind some hidden agenda. You'll hear more about Ken Schultz and his son in just a minute. The third person charged was former principal and director, John Oliver Boken,

who was charged with 12 counts of historical assault with a weapon. Caitlin Erickson and other former students were in the courtroom for the 63-year-old's first appearance, describing it as a dark cloud coming into the courtroom. Quote, He was doing what he used to do to our students, which was glaring us down. It was just pretty wild to see after all these years that he has not changed as an individual. There was

not a hint of remorse on that man at all. All three men charged turn themselves into police and were released on conditions that include being prohibited from being in a position of authority over anyone under 18. In the meantime, the independent administrators appointed by the Ministry to oversee those three Christian schools had reported back on what they found, but the Saskatchewan government refused to make those reports available to the public. So the NDP, the official opposition party in Saskatchewan, filed a Freedom of Information request. The reports were handed over in May of this year, but the NDP and former students were shocked

to see large sections had been redacted, including all of the recommendations for things that need to be changed. Caitlin Erickson described this apparent lack of transparency as pretty disappointing, adding that this information should have been released in full, given these three schools are heavily subsidized by the government. But despite all the redactions, the reports are still extremely revealing. The independent administrator assigned to Regent Academy found nothing out of the ordinary. That was the school in Prince Albert that employed Duff-Friezen as principal in the time after he left Legacy Christian Academy. But when it comes to the other two schools, the redacted reports still show massive gaps

in oversight that may have contributed to negative experiences by students. As you'll remember, Grace Christian School, the school that John Oliver Bolken started after he was allegedly terminated from Legacy Christian Academy, was shut down within weeks, because he refused to cooperate with the independent administrator. The subsequent report found a number of egregious issues, including school registration procedures that excluded students with learning challenges or special needs from being admitted. At Legacy Christian Academy, the administrator reported that teachers were still working to make sure the curriculum was aligned with provincial standards, and they had identified

gaps in the pace workbooks that they planned to address, but there was no mention of any follow-up. In addition, the reports revealed that the school continued to employ supervisors who weren't qualified teachers right up until September of 2022, acknowledging that only after that time were all teachers at the school certified and registered with the regulatory board. When it came to issues with financial records, the administrator found it difficult to separate school financials from church financials. And what's more, when the provincial government started funding qualified independent schools

in 2012, Legacy Christian Academy started accruing a large surplus fund. On top of the tuition tuition they charge to parents. It should also be noted that in April of 2023, thousands of public schoolteachers and other stakeholders staged a large protest outside this Saskatchewan legislature. They called for the provincial government to address chronic education funding shortfalls that have resulted in under-resourced and overpopulated classrooms and educator burnout. Education Minister Dustin Duncan responded that the ministry worked with the province's legal department to decide what would be redacted, adding that the government has acted on

recommendations. He cited the announcement of new regulations designed to increase scrutiny, ensure teachers are licensed and qualified to teach, and change the requirements for financial reporting models. But Caitlin Erickson, former students, their families and other members of the community, were starting to get fed up with the government either taking no action or only doing the bare minimum. They decided to stage a protest in mid-June of this year to call for the Saskatchewan government to stop using public money to fund a Christian school facing allegations

of abuse that have resulted in criminal charges and a class action lawsuit. The protest was held strategically on a Sunday morning. Outside the building, Legacy Christian Academy shares with Mile 2 Church. Right as churchgoers were pulling into the parking lot. Caitlin told the media, quote, We've asked the government to mandate proper public school curriculum. We've asked them to mandate certified professional teachers and ask them to mandate aligning their policies with the human rights code. When you've failed that many people,

it's time to close your doors and walk away. Back in 1988, when the staff Phoenix published that article about the wave of fundamentalist Christianity related to Christian schools, Ken Schultz was quoted as a dean or principal of the school now known as Legacy Christian Academy. In defending the school's strict rules for discipline, he said quote, This is a private school and it's a privilege to be here. It is not a right. If you want to have your rights, you go down the street to the public school because that's your right. Your taxes pay for it.

This statement did not age well. After all, in 2012, five years after the Sask party was elected to govern Saskatchewan, they created the category of qualified independent schools to fund legacy Christian academy and schools like it, with 50% of the per student funding that public schools get. And then, in the spring of 2022, Education Minister Duncan increased that funding to 75% of what public schools get. In exchange for that public funding, these schools were required to provide a curriculum with approved programs and courses consistent with the goals of education for Saskatchewan.

They were to only employ registered and qualified teachers and agree to increase government oversight, including supervision, inspection and provision of financial statements and other records among other things. And even though the independent administrators' report was heavily redacted, it demonstrated that legacy Christian Academy continued to be unaligned with provincial standards while they used government money to build up a surplus. Caitlin Erickson stated, quote, ''I don't think taxpayers in our community are okay with that either, with public dollars going to this place when our public schools are suffering so immensely.

She pointed out that the current provincial government seems to have a bias regarding education. The Ministry of Education issued a brief statement of response, basically stating that the Education Act allows parents and guardians to educate their children in accordance with their conscientious beliefs, which may include faith-based education and provide them with

a legitimate exemption from a public or separate school. There was no mention or response to the specific public funding concerns. One of the former students who attended the protest told the media she hoped the government would see what they are standing up for and make some big changes. And about a week later, the Saskatchewan government did make a big change in schools, but it wasn't about this. Planned parenthood has a school education program, and at one of their presentations, a grade 9 student went through the box of resources brought in by the facilitator that day, and inadvertently came across some educational materials intended for gay, by, and queer youth. He reportedly told his parents, who complained,

A spokesperson for Planned Parenthood would state that the materials weren't ever used in schools, nor were they handed out to any students. They acknowledged they should have been more careful about materials brought onto the premises, but they did apologize to that school and thought the issue had been resolved. But on June 22, 2023, Education Minister Duncan suddenly called a press release to announce the immediate suspension of the entire planned parenthood school program, Province Wide. He confirmed he did not contact planned parenthood to discuss with them what happened, but said, quote, I believe as Minister of Education and, frankly, as a parent, it is completely inappropriate

to be in a classroom. He added that the organization might be allowed to present in Saskatchewan schools again after the ministry had reviewed the province's sexual education material to ensure it is age appropriate. This particular decision and action reveals a lot about the priorities of the Saskatchewan government. After multiple former students alleged physical and sexual abuse by those in authority at their church school, the ministry's response was to state that no action will be considered until the police investigation is complete. Yet when a single high school student finds a misplaced resource intended for LGBTQ plus youth, the ministry suspends an entire Provincial Sex Education program

immediately without so much as a discussion. In a column for the Regina leader post, Murray Mandrick wrote, quote, a government runs into problems when its philosophies and beliefs begin to overshadow reason. He pointed out what former and present students of Legacy Christian Academy deserve, and a reasonable action for the Ministry of Education to take, is to demonstrate it is as protective of them in light of their serious allegations as it claims to be of other high school students. When Education Minister Duncan was asked whether he would have handled the planned parenthood situation differently, he said he would have done the same thing.

But what he didn't speak to is that the way this situation has unfolded is further evidence that the Saskatchewan government may be driven not by what is in the way this situation has unfolded is further evidence that the Saskatchewan government may be driven not by what is in the best interest of education for all Saskatchewan students, but by the fundamentalist religious beliefs of a certain portion of the population. Over the past decades, one of the most outspoken proponents of those beliefs is of course Ken Schultz, named as a principal defendant in the class action statement of claim as some time teacher, director, vice principal and dean of the school, and longtime elder of the church. In that June 1988 star Fenexarticle about the wave of fundamentalist Christianity related to Christian schools,

Schultz also stated, quote, For full transparency, all of these newspaper clippings and more are available for you to read in full on the page for this episode on our website. In another paragraph of that article, referring to the strict dress code for students, which stipulates that girls do not wear pants heavy makeup or loud jewelry, and boys do not wear jeans, long hair or earrings. Ken Shultz says, quote, We want our girls to look like girls and our guys to look like guys. I realize that can be viewed as being incredibly sexist, and if it is, I stand guilty." And in the 1998 feature by Jason Warwick for the Star Phoenix, Ken Schultz identified himself as a director of the school and associate minister of the church as he defended their strict rules and

punishments. He stated, quote, �Are we protecting our kids? Of course we are, but should we feel bad about that? We protect them physically from cold weather, so why shouldn't we protect them spiritually, emotionally, philosophically? It's not just a religious thing. It is our belief that the school and the church, working in harmony, will enable us to develop the best learning environment for the students. Keep that in mind, because you might remember in the last episode, we mentioned

some distressing allegations about a young girl who disclosed to school and church leadership that she was being sexually abused at her home. She was just 4-6 years old at the time. Instead of helping her, she alleged that leadership took advantage of her, starting with Pastor Keith Johnson bringing her up in front of the entire congregation for a healing session, where he told everyone she was impure and caused men to stumble among other things.

He then laid his hands on her, speaking in tongues to exercise the demons of lust. But she also alleges this wasn't the only so-called healing session. The class action lawsuit statement of claim details the following allegations. Quote, On several occasions, Ken Schultz, while praying over a female student and minor attendee of the church who had been sexually abused in her home placed his hand between her legs and on her chest, placed his hand under her shirt and down her pants inside her underwear and placed the child's hand on his crotch.

Ken Schultz was sexually aroused at the time. During these healing sessions, Ken Schultz put his hand inside her underwear to her buttocks while paddling the student, causing welts and bruising. This occurred while the child was between 4 and 6 years old. End quote. On July 25, 2023, 74-year-old Ken Schultz was arrested and charged with sexual assault and assault with a weapon. The identity of the former student who came forward with the allegations is under publication ban, but after the arrest she told the staff Phoenix that she attended the school between

1988 and 1992 and says the alleged assaults occurred in Ken Schultz's office in his capacity as church elder and in his home when he was babysitting. She said that subconsciously she always believed that her experience was an isolated incident, just her. But quote, When I found out there were other people telling their stories, I connected with Caitlin Erickson over social media and I decided it was time for me to speak up, at least for the sake of my own healing.

She said that she hoped her story will empower anyone else holding on to allegations involving Ken Schultz and others to come forward. Two days later, Ken Schultz's lawyer released a statement saying his client is cooperating with police and categorically and unequivocally denies both the charge for sexual assault and the charge for assault with a weapon. Quote, Ken Schultz emphatically states that at no time did he conduct himself in the manner depicted in these accusations and looks forward to the opportunity to clear his name

of these allegations. But the news archives don't forget. In June of 1988, when Schultz was quoted in that star-fenix article confirming the use of corporal punishment, he also confirmed that he personally used a paddle and that the punishment was administered up to 10 times a day. But Ken Schultz is not the only family member named as a defendant in the class action lawsuit. An online search reveals Ken Schultz and his late wife Elaine have three children, one of whom is named Nathan Schultz. The statement of claim alleges, quote, Nathan Schultz, a worker of the church, induced female minor adherents and congregants of the church to, during Sunday

school, go with him to the bathroom, where he would put candy on his penis and have the girl take the candy with her hands or mouth. On some occasions, he cut the pockets out of his pants and told the girls to reach into the pockets and see what surprise I have for you." End quote. Caitlin Erickson is one of those alleged victims. She says at the time she was about 6 or 7 years old, and Nathan Schultz was 16 or 17, and describes him as always the guy that would volunteer to take the girls to the bathroom.

Quote, He was much, much bigger than me and I was very fearful of him. Just a reminder again that none of the allegations we're speaking about today have been proven or tested in court. Two days after Caitlyn and the former students staged that Sunday morning protest outside the church and school, CTV News Saskatchewan reported that Brian Johnson had stepped down as pastor of mild to church. He is not a named defendant in the class action statement of claim, But his father, former pastor Keith Johnson, who is, has still not been located by the authorities. According to media reports, he is believed to be in the United States,

in either Texas or Oklahoma. Keith Johnson is named in the class action lawsuit as a principal defendant, but he isn't mentioned in relation to any specific incidents of physical and sexual abuse. The statement of claim alleges that he intimidated, coerced, and demanded financial contributions from former students of the school and congregants of the church and their families, knowing this would cause them significant financial hardship. Nine past members of what is now mild to church spoke with Zach Vesgera for the Regina leader post. Telling stories of Keith Johnson and other church employees pressuring them in their families into donating land, proceeds from home sales, personal belongings, and substantial portions of their income.

Not only did they say these donations sometimes left them in financial strife and unable to pay their own bills, but they were dismayed to see a good portion of that money being used for personal gifts from the church directly to the pastor, which included a brand new Lexus car and almost $190,000 for him to build a new home. But as the news archives reveal, this is not exactly new information. More on that in a moment. Back in 1998, the Star Phoenix published a feature about the church now known as Mile 2 Church, with the headline, Leaving the Flock, former members leave church with bitter memories. Journalist Dan Zakreski wrote, quote, Dave Block remembers Sundays when he felt more like a croupier at a Vegas casino than a respected leader in a Christian church.

The money from offerings, a fixed stream of tens, 20s, hundreds, flowing in faster than it could be counted. Block says that at least on three occasions, Johnson telephoned him early Sunday morning to work out a strategy to extract cash from the congregation. And there's one more thing in that same article that I found particularly shocking. Earlier this episode we mentioned Pastor Keith Johnson's wife, Tracy Johnson, who was a single mother when he married her and she moved with him to Saskatoon. But Tracy is actually his second wife. According to a marriage announcement in the Pampa Daily News in Texas, William Keith

Johnson married Paula Jane Kirby at first Christian Church in June of 1963. Paula had just graduated from high school, and Keith had graduated the year before. 18 years later, in April of 1981, Paula Kirby Johnson died, age 35. With an obituary stating she was a member of Evangel temple and was survived by her husband Keith Johnson and two daughters. Although Keith Johnson moved to Saskatoon in 1982, he'd been traveling to Saskatchewan since the late 70s, trying to promote the accelerated Christian education program, according to that 1998

feature in the star Phoenix by Dan Zakreski. He wrote, quote, Paula Johnson died in the couple's plane view home on April 13, 1981, from complications associated with diabetes. Keith Johnson was in Saskatoon when his 35-year-old wife died. The obituary in the plane view heralds says she passed away after a brief illness, and police captain Michael Carroll, then chief of detectives, says her death was ruled by natural causes.

Family and friends say that Paula became ill after she stopped taking insulin. I don't know why she wasn't taking her insulin," says Mary-Nell Donald, Paula's sister. I haven't dug into it, I'm the only member of her family living. Her mother and father are both dead, and I'm very fond of my nieces, they live there in Saskatoon, I don't really want to comment on it." Founding member Charles Heinegar says that Paula's diabetes was a well-kept secret in the town. Only a close few news she had any problems at all. Keith Johnson trusted God for her healing,

and it just didn't happen. Yes, she neglected her medication. Another founding member, James W. Smith adds, Yes, sir, she did stop taking medication, and she died on a Sunday night when everyone was a church. Keith Johnson remarried four months later on August 8, 1981. James W. Smith says the questions about the church finances and the death of his wife Paula, both contributed to Johnson moving his two daughters and new bride to Canada the following year. When he's teaching the word he's smart because he knows how to take scriptures and apply them to suit himself. For a while it did, and then it got to where it didn't.

You know, it runs its course. That's one reason he left plain view. Things were popping up, and then his wife passed away. But that's just one of many insidious layers involved in this story and others like it. Again, this and all the other news clippings we've mentioned and quoted in this series are available on our website. So as of the release of this episode, four men have been charged criminally in relation to these allegations. 46-year-old Aaron Bennewys, former sports coach who was charged with sexual assault and sexual exploitation of a minor while in a position of trust or authority.

65-year-old Duff Reason Former principal of the school known as Legacy Christian Academy was charged with 11 counts of historical assault with a weapon. 63-year-old John Olibabokin, former principal and director of the school known as Legacy Christian Academy, was charged with 12 counts of historical assault with a weapon. And fourth was 74-year-old Ken Schultz, who held a number of positions of authority at the school, and according to the class action statement of claim, was a time elder of the church at the time the allegations went public. He was charged with sexual assault and assault with a weapon. None of these charges have been proven or tested in court. And alongside the criminal action, there is

also, of course, the Civil Class Action lawsuit. I ask Kaitlyn Erickson to explain the difference. So we have these two legal processes going. We have the criminal processes and all these people have come forward criminally. And then we have the civil case. And the nice part about the civil case is it addresses that emotional and psychological abuse and spiritual abuse of people where those are criminal code offenses but you don't see any

case law in Canada of it's very rare that someone's actually charged for those things. So that's where the civil case can hold these people accountable for those things too. That's of course Caitlin's dogs, you can hear barking in the background. I tried to remove as many barks as possible, but let's just be thankful that they're still alive. Caitlin, what would you and the other former students most like to see come out of all of this? The number one thing is that when we went into this, like we had said as the student group, we don't want this to ever happen to anybody ever again. You know, we don't want to see four decades of abuse victims out of a school

that's been greenlit by the government of Saskatchewan to operate. And then on top of that, you know, decades later, given public funding. So there needs to be better safety nets in this province. And we've never asked for every single Christian school to be closed. We've said to the government, these are the gaps. This is where this system is failing. So if the government itself is failing so terribly that they can't actually monitor and operate these schools, I mean, that needs to be evaluated because there's a duty of responsibility there.

And there are people who have done very, very egregious things. And they've harmed a lot of people, and those people need to be held accountable. And that's why we're doing things the right and legal way. And that is the big point to I want to drive home is that these victims have all gone to police. They filled out their intakes.

They've put in the work to do this the legal and right way. When we have people that are involved in this institution that have done things like done harassment campaigns of us online, they're slandering us, they're going so far as trying to intimidate some people in public. You know, those are people who are guilty, those are people who are guilty. If you have done nothing wrong, you're not going to act like that. So yeah, it's a two-fold process. It's holding people accountable, but also making the world a better place than it was for us.

So it's been almost a year since the class action lawsuit was announced. Do you expect any more people to come forward? Oh, yes. We had a whole bunch in the last like three weeks. There's just been intakes coming in and people going to please. So this is going to go on probably for another year or more where people are going to please still. And I mean the class action will get to a point where people will have to have joined

or off-doubt. I think for a lot of people too, it was that fear of coming forward and the police not charging these individuals and especially now that they've been charged. People are like, okay, if I'm going to go through the work of having to put my trauma on the line here and rehash all this stuff, I want to know that there's going to be some charges. There's just so much, there's so many layers, there's so many threads to this, and we'll be stories that continue to come out. Thanks for listening and special thanks to Caitlin Erickson and all the other former students who have bravely come forward. Thanks also to the journalists that investigated and brought awareness to these allegations,

including Jason Warwick for CBC News, Zach Vescaira for the Saskatoon staff Phoenix, and Jeremy Simes for the Regina leader post. You'll find links to all of the articles, news clippings, class action statement of claim, academic reviews and studies and other resources mentioned in this series, in the show notes, and on the page for this episode at canadiantruecrime.ca. Obviously, this is not the end of this story. So as this snowball continues to gather speed, we'll continue to keep tabs on it and we'll return to this story at a later date. If you wanted to follow the situation as it continues to unfold, follow hashtag legacy of abuse on social media, or see all of Caitlin's social medias in the show notes.

What you've heard in this mini-series is really only the tip of the iceberg, with this kind of evangelical Christianity. Because this is a true crime podcast, I focused mainly on the aspects of it that have fed into the criminal allegations. If you're interested in hearing more from the former students, I can't recommend the legacy of abuse podcast enough. Each week, Caitlin and other former students go behind the allegations, sharing more details and stories about their time at the church and school. It's extremely eye-opening.

If you'd like to know more about similar fundamentalist religious communities, I highly recommend the Amazon Prime documentary, Shinee Happy People, about the Dugga family. It delves into why these and similar religious communities focus so heavily on regulating sex and sexuality, and why it often goes hand in hand with widespread allegations of sexual abuse. It also explores the increasing infiltration of politics by these and similar religious communities, and the overarching philosophy behind this strategy. It is a whole thing. The pursuit of a class action lawsuit involves significant financial costs, including legal fees, court costs, and expert witness expenses, and every cent helps.

We have donated to a GoFundMe set up by the former students and if you can help too, please consider joining us. You can find links to that and all the other resources mentioned at CanadianTrueCrim.ca slash episodes. Audio editing was by We Talk of Dreams who composed the theme songs. Production assistance was by Jesse Hawke with script consulting by Carol Weinberg. Research, writing, narration, and sound design was by me, and the disclaimer was voiced by Eric Crosby. I'll be back soon with a new Canadian True Crime Story.

See you then. you