Plaintiff in lawsuit against Saskatoon church, school sees home vandalized

Recent acts of vandalism at her home won’t deter Caitlin Erickson.

As one of two named plaintiffs on the lawsuit filed against Mile Two Church Inc. (formerly Christian Centre Church), the attacks aren’t the first threat Erickson has received.

She said she has no plans to allow intimidation to force her to back down from the case.

“This lawsuit isn’t going away … If that was the plan, to intimidate me (and) have the lawsuit go away, that’s not happening,” Erickson said.

“It’s unsettling but not surprising,” she continued.

Erickson was notified by police just before midnight on Remembrance Day that her home had been on fire.

That call came only a day after her daughter had woken up and discovered someone had spray-painted “Heb. 12” in black scrawl on their home’s siding.

That wasn’t the first time Erickson had seen a Bible reference to Hebrews recently. Just a few months earlier, she’d received an email telling her to stop speaking out to the media about the alleged abuse she has claimed to have endured during her time attending Legacy Christian Academy, formerly known as Christian Centre Academy.

That message referenced Hebrews 12:29, which states, “for indeed our God is a consuming fire.”

“When I saw that spray-painted on the house, it was obviously very alarming” Erickson said.

Hey Twitter fam. I am going to not be as active on social media for awhile as the kids and I navigate this. Kiddos and I are in a safe place and they are all in pretty good spirits considering. pic.twitter.com/e7WfAEcsM6

— SaskCate (@CateSask) November 14, 2022

Though it took some time for the RCMP to respond to her home about the vandalism, she said the Mounties too were concerned.

“It was pretty unsettling,” Erickson said, adding she’s still processing the events that have happened to her recently.

The Saskatchewan RCMP confirmed that a report of vandalism was received on the morning of Nov. 10. The residence had been graffitied and some electronic equipment was broken.

The following day around 10:30 p.m., suspicious activity at the same home was reported to the RCMP. Officers went to check the home and found evidence that there had been a fire inside.

Both instances are currently being investigated.

“We are unable to comment on whether any potential link exists between these incidents at this time,” the Saskatchewan RCMP said in an email.

What makes this situation more concerning is the attacks focused on Erickson’s family’s home, where seven of her eight children currently live with her.

Erickson says they’ll be taking some more safety precautions going forward.

“It’s been a lot to juggle being out of our home, having that many people to worry about and kind of settle in in a different space,” she explained.

The mother and former Legacy Christian School student said she is now in a place that is less isolated and surrounded by family and support. She and her kids feel secure, she said.

What has shocked Erickson throughout this process is how there have not been more religious groups to speak out about the harassment Erickson has faced — and using Bible passages as a “weapon” or intimidation tactic.

“That’s a bit concerning to me,” she said.

It’s Sunday. The day many people who participate in organized religion gather. One Church and two pastors in Saskatchewan have reached out to me to decry using scripture as a weapon. One church out of how many we have in Sask? Perplexing. Thank you St. Martins United Church. 💕

— SaskCate (@CateSask) November 20, 2022

Erickson would have liked to see more religious groups — as well as the Saskatchewan government — stepping forward to condemn the harsh treatment she and other students have endured since coming forward with their allegations.