NDP suggests Legacy Christian Academy closure allows school to ‘rebrand’

A private Christian school embroiled in controversy will close its doors at the end of this school year, according to a letter from Legacy Christian Academy to the Ministry of Education.

While the Saskatchewan government states it has not received the letter, the undated copy obtained by 650 CKOM is addressed to Kevin Gabel, executive director of the programs branch.

The letter says that “after much review, discussion and prayer,” the school can no longer provide the quality of service it desires due to tuition challenges and low enrolment.

Marguerite Wiggins, a former teacher, vice-principal and current consultant for LCA, said in the letter that the ongoing allegations against the school, formerly Christian Centre Academy, forced this decision. 

Earlier this year, Aaron Benneweis, the school’s former athletic director, was handed a two-year sentence after pleading guilty to sexual assault and sexual exploitation of a minor.

In addition to the criminal charges, many former students have launched a class-action lawsuit, seeking $25 million in damages from the school, its affiliated church, and former employees.

“LCA has had the privilege of serving many families over the past forty-plus years and has very much appreciated the province’s recent support in helping us do so, particularly over the past decade,” Wiggins wrote. 

The letter reveals that Westdale Christian School, formerly located on 20th Street, plans to reopen this fall and rent LCA’s school space. Wiggins writes they hope families will transfer students there. 

“The Ministry is aware that Westdale Christian School is interested in relocating to the facility currently occupied by Legacy Christian Academy, but to date has not received notification of the closure of Legacy Christian Academy. Should this occur, all conditions currently in place for Legacy Christian Academy would remain in place at Westdale Christian School,” a government spokesperson said in a statement.

A description on Westdale’s Facebook page reads: “We are a Kindergarten to grade 9 Qualified Independent Christian School. Our curriculum is government approved and we offer free tuition.”

NDP suggests closure is a ‘rebrand’

“I sure hope that the Moe government sees this for what it appears to be — a rebrand — but I’m not holding my breath. This independent school has a history of abuse and the Sask. Party still increased their funding more than our public, Catholic, and French schools got,” NDP Education Critic Matt Love said in a statement Thursday afternoon.

Caitlin Erickson speaks to media outside the courthouse. (Mia Holowaychuk/650 CKOM)

Caitlin Erickson, one of the plaintiffs in the class-action lawsuit, said she’s not surprised.

“It really does seem that there is a very huge investment on their part to keep public dollars flowing into Legacy,” she said.

“It’s just really unfortunate that the government doesn’t want to do something about Legacy (and) that they’re still continuing to fund them, that it will be Legacy making the choice to close their doors (and) not the government closing them,” Erickson said.

The allegations emerging from the school prompted the Saskatchewan government to increase its oversight of independent schools in 2023. 

In the letter, Wiggins thanked Gabel for his “willingness to bring clarity” to government policy and lauded his “honest inquiry” and “desire to understand” independent schools like LCA.