Saskatoon city councillor denies abuse allegations against him in church lawsuit – Saskatoon

Saskatoon Ward 5 City Councillor Randy Donauer denies all allegations made against him in a $25 million class action lawsuit against Mile Two Church in Saskatoon.

On Wednesday, he denied allegations that he physically and emotionally abused students and young members of Mile Two Church. Donauer is named in a lawsuit against the church and its affiliated school Legacy Christian Academy after former students came forward to allege that staff members regularly used corporal punishment as a means of discipline.

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The lawsuit alleges that Donauer accused former Legacy Christian Academy student Coy Nolin of gossiping and joking about relationships with other camp counselors, resulting in a punishment spanking.

Students also claimed that Donauer would hit other children with a paddle if they “did not praise the Lord more effectively, by raising their hands, jumping up and down, and singing louder.”

“I have no knowledge of the physical, psychological, emotional and religious abuse that I have allegedly suffered at my hands,” Donauer’s affidavit states, which also lists when the alleged abuse occurred, the location or the names of the victims he allegedly abused.

“I have no knowledge of any intentional infliction of mental harm and conduct in the nature of offense to the person, including psychological, mental, emotional and spiritual harm to the students at the school and minor followers and congregants of the church with which I was allegedly involved,” he said.

He also said he was not aware of any corporal punishment allegedly used by the students.

Three people, including the school’s former principal and headmaster, are currently facing criminal charges in Saskatoon court, denying that they abused students.

They are also named in the civil case, the list of defendants of which was amended this week, according to Sharfstein Law and a former student.

“Certain individuals are no longer part of the process due to their collective involvement,” former student Caitlin Erickson posted on Twitter on Wednesday.

The claims against Stephanie Case, Fran Thevenot and Tracey Johnson have been dropped.

A hearing date for the lawsuit has not yet been announced.

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