Jury acquits former Legacy Christian Academy principal accused of paddling students on 3 of 4 charges

A jury has acquitted Duff Arthur Friesen, the former principal of Legacy Christian Academy in Saskatoon, on three of four assault charges after he was accused of hitting students with a wooden paddle two decades ago.

The six men and six women on the jury deliberated for about five hours Wednesday before delivering the verdict to Justice Natasha Crooks at Court of King's Bench.

There is a court-ordered ban on publishing any evidence from the trial because Friesen has a second jury trial, on seven similar charges, set for September.

Friesen's lawyer, Daniel Mol, said outside court that he would be appealing the one guilty count.

Friesen declined to comment.

He faced a total of 11 counts of assault, all stemming from allegations that, as principal of the private Christian school in the 2003-04 school year, he hit students with a wooden paddle.

The school has since changed its name to Valour Academy.

Mol and prosecutor Sheryl Fillo will be back in court on June 23 to set a date for sentencing arguments.