Two students, Coy Nolin and Caitlin Erickson, have filed a class action lawsuit seeking at least $25 million in damages from what is now called Legacy Christian Academy and its parent organization, Mile Two Church.

Lawyer Grant Scharfstein is representing Nolin and Erickson and held a news conference outside the Court of Queen’s Bench in Saskatoon on Tuesday afternoon.

The allegations in the claim include alleged physical, sexual, psychological, emotional and spiritual abuse.  He says this church and school exhibits all the hallmarks of what we often think of as a cult – they were involved in every aspect of their members lives.

Scharfstein also says that the Education Minister has to act immediately in light a new school year coming up in a few short weeks. He says Sunday evening a letter was sent, on behalf of students, asking the Education Minister to suspend or cancel Legacy Christian Academy certification as a qualified independent school. The letter outlines Dustin Duncan’s authority  to do that and regulations and legislation which can be employed.  They have also demanded an investigation into the conduct at the school.  At the time of the news conference the response from the Ministry had been that the government received the letter.

Scharfstein says the effects of the school’s students have been devastating including one former student who was institutionalized.  Former Student Caitlin Erickson said previously that the abuse she endured included being interrogated to tell school officials her best friend was gay and she was spanked with a wooden paddle as a teenager to the point of causing black and blue bruises. At this time, there are 21 named defendants, mostly former church and school teachers and officials.