Sask. education ministry official resigns as school lawsuit plaintiffs allege inappropriate behaviour

A high-ranking official in Saskatchewan's Ministry of Education has resigned from his position amidst allegations about his conduct.

Mike Walter was appointed by the province in August 2022 to oversee Legacy Christian Academy, previously known as Christian Centre Academy, after former students claimed they had faced abuse at the Saskatoon private school.

Criminal charges have been laid against several of the defendants in a civil suit launched by former students.

One of the accused — the school's former athletic director — has pleaded guilty to the sexual assault and sexual exploitation of a former student.

On Dec. 17, Caitlin Erickson and Jennifer Beaudry, former students and named plaintiffs on the class-action lawsuit, were on The Legacy of Abuse Podcast to discuss Walter's behaviour toward them, which they called "gross and inappropriate."

On Friday, Beaudry told CBC that she received Walter's contact information at the school in fall 2022. She was told he was the person to contact to get her cumulative file from when she was a student.

"I first got in touch with him completely 100 per cent expecting a professional business relationship with this government official," Beaudry said.

"I was imagining something pretty short, and it turned into quite regular interactions and conversations with him about my story, and about stuff going on at the school and his thoughts."

Jennifer Beaudry says said the 'inappropriate' behaviour occurred within the last months of 2022. (Kendall Latimer/CBC)

Beaudry said their interactions became more personal and more uncomfortable. She said the behaviour occurred within the last months of 2022.

"He was texting almost every day over the holidays, just strictly about personal things — sending selfies, things like that. Just to try and get my interest," she said.

Beaudry said Walter first invited her for coffee, which turned into a second in-person meeting for drinks at a local bar.

"What was so frustrating and angering ultimately is that the dynamic in that relationship was reminding me a lot of the dynamic with what had happened with Aaron Benneweis when I was a teenager," Beaudry said.

Benneweis is the former athletic director at the private Christian school who pleaded guilty in October to sexual assault and sexual exploitation in connection with offences from 2008 to 2012. Beaudry, the victim, was 13 when they began.

Beaudry said her interactions with Walter left her "really triggered … because it was somebody who was in a position of power over me."

"Mike [Walter] was a government official that was supposed to be helping me straighten out this school situation," she said.

"So I was really frustrated that I was finding myself in a similar situation when that was the root of the issue that I was trying to solve in the first place."

Beaudry said she cut off contact with Walter sometime shortly after the holidays.

In March 2023, Walter was promoted to assistant deputy minister in the Ministry of Education.

Walter told CBC he was offered the same role in 2017, but wasn't able to accept the position at the time. CBC asked province to confirm that, but it did not.

However, the ministry said in a statement that Walter was hired in 2023 "following a normal recruitment process, which included interviews and reference checks, and to ensure he had the appropriate education and experience."

Treading lightly

Caitlin Erickson said when she first connected with Walter, he seemed like he would be a knowledgeable contact to have around education and Legacy Christian Academy.

"But it very quickly became evident that there was more from him on his side [that] he wanted emotionally from me. And so it became very bizarre," Erickson told CBC Friday.

When Caitlin Erickson first connected with Mike Walter in 2022, she said he seemed like he would be a knowledgeable contact to have around education and Legacy Christian Academy. (CBC)

Erickson, who attended the school for 13 years, alleges she was subjected to physical, emotional psychological and sexual abuse, as well as daily intimidation and isolation, during her time there.

The former Legacy student said there were several times where Walter told her he needed to share some information with her in person, but ended up not having much to share.

"There was a trickle of information happening, but 90 per cent of the conversation was not around that," Erickson said.

She said she had to tell Walter to be professional on several occasions.

It was difficult for her, she said, because she was trying to maintain open lines of communication with a government official. But at the same time, she felt she had to "tread lightly," fearing she could put that stream of information at risk.

'I am sorry and sincerely apologize': Walter

In a statement to CBC on Friday, Walter said that as administrator at Legacy Christian Academy, he was asked to meet with former students regarding their experiences at the school when it was named Christian Centre Academy.

"It was an opportunity for these former students to share their experiences. This was not any kind of formal investigation, and I was not required to report to the Ministry of Education on the meetings," Walter said.

He said he met with eight former students and four former parents and saw a picture unfold of "significant psychological, emotional and physical abuse from the school and church."

Legacy Christian Academy, formerly known as Christian Centre Academy, is a private Christian school in Saskatoon. (Jeff Stapleton/CBC)

Erickson and Beaudry both told stories that he found to be especially difficult to hear, Walter said.

"I admire both for their courage and leadership. But, with Caitlin and Jennifer, I regret my choices regarding further contact I made with them. I am sorry and sincerely apologize to both," he said.

He confirmed he has resigned as an assistant deputy minister within the education ministry, which he said was for personal reasons.

CBC reached out to the Ministry of Education, which confirmed on Friday that Walter chose to resign.

"The Ministry of Education was not aware of Mr. Walter's activities outside his duties as a contracted administrator of Legacy Christian Academy and as assistant deputy minister," it said.

'It's quite baffling': Erickson

Erickson said her interactions with Walter have not set her back in her healing journey. But she said they've shown her why it's important for her, and other former students who have come forward, to make systems better and more safe for others.

"It really doesn't feel great that these so-called systems that are in place that are supposed to be the ones regulating, supposed to be the ones doing the checks — there's still abuse going on in those systems against other abuse victims," Erickson said.

"It's quite baffling."