Former Christian School Principal in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada, Found Guilty of Assaulting Three Students With Paddle

Duff Arthur Friesen, a former principal of a private Christian school in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, has faced charges of assault with a weapon over allegations that he struck students with a wooden paddle about two decades ago. Reports differ on the name of the school. Some identify it as Legacy Christian Academy and others as Christian Centre Academy. Friesen’s case has moved through several court dates, and the reports give different counts and outcomes.

An earlier CBC News report, carrying a 2003 archive label, described a case in which the court found Friesen guilty on one of four counts of assault with a weapon involving a Saskatoon student. Judge Heather Crooks emphasized Friesen’s moral culpability, noting that the victim was a child who should have been protected by those in authority. The Crown had sought an eight-month jail term followed by two years of probation. Friesen’s defense lawyer had asked for a conditional discharge, which would have avoided jail time and a criminal record. That report describes a community sentence.

A CBC News report from May 2025 described a later stage of the case. It said a jury had acquitted Friesen on three of four assault charges but convicted him on one count. Prosecutor Sheryl Fillo sought an eight-month jail term followed by two years of probation, while defense lawyer Daniel Mol advocated for a conditional discharge. A separate CBC News report from September 15, 2025, said Friesen faced seven counts of assault, related to allegations that he hit students with a wooden paddle. Mol asked Judge Daryl Labach for an adjournment so he could seek school records of students from the school. Labach said he was left with no choice and reluctantly adjourned the trial to an unspecified date.

Another CBC News report described a jury trial that lasted two weeks before Justice Daryl Labach. It said Friesen was found guilty of three counts of assault with a weapon involving three former students, and acquitted on two other counts involving two other former students. The names of the students are not repeated here. This account differs from the May 2025 report, which described one conviction, and from the September report, which described seven counts. The reports do not explain how these differences arose.

A report from The StarPhoenix described a later trial in which jurors had been selected and the assault trial was underway. It said Friesen faced five counts of assault with a weapon, which the report attributed to allegations and did not present as established.