SASKATOON - Today, Official Opposition Leader Carla Beck and Human Rights Critic Meara Conway stood with former students to request the Saskatchewan Advocate for Children & Youth investigate the provincial government’s response to the allegations of abuse at the Legacy Christian Academy. They also called on the Sask. Party government to remove individuals named in the civil suit from classrooms in the fall.
“The Sask. Party government has known about these abuse allegations for months. Rather than act on them, they tried to bury them and feigned ignorance once journalists asked tough questions,” said Beck. “The Sask. Party government’s inaction and seeming carelessness when it comes to the safety of our kids must be investigated immediately. Protecting our kids should be priority one for any government.”
Former students Caitlin Erickson and Stefanie Hutchinson joined MLAs Beck and Conway in front of the office of Saskatchewan’s Children and Youth Advocate to jointly call for an independent investigation.
“The Government has acknowledged they are aware that several independent schools in the city of Saskatoon are not following the guidelines in order to receive funding from the provincial government,” said Erickson. “The students who have come forward would appreciate the opportunity to sit down with the Premier, as the Minister of Education’s office has been essentially non-responsive.”
“We are talking about allegations of children being beaten and sexually abused. Action and strong leadership to protect the human rights of all students are needed now,” said Conway. “The Sask. Party government should have immediately cut off funding to the school and suspended potential abusers at the first whiff of trouble in February. Enough stalling. Enough half-measures.”
Official Opposition Leader Carla Beck wrote the Saskatchewan Advocate for Children & Youth to request an investigation into the provincial government’s response to the allegations in the lawsuit and for an examination of whether there are adequate oversight and processes in place to protect children in Qualified Independent Schools.
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