Pastor Keith Johnson is believed to be in Oklahoma but is “evading” officials who are trying multiple ways to serve him with the lawsuit documents, according to court records. Saskatoon Court of King’s Bench Justice Grant Currie agreed to grant the request of Grant Scharfstein, the lawyer representing more than 30 former students and church members. Johnson’s son-in-law, who has admitted to being in contact with Johnson, will be responsible for getting the papers into Johnson’s hands, a process known as “substitute service,” Curry’s written order said. If that doesn’t happen, the proposed class action could move forward without Johnson having a say in it. “It’s not normal,” Scharfstein said. “He was avoiding service, avoiding responsibility and making it difficult. We will find him.” Grant Scharfstein is representing former Saskatoon students and church members in a proposed $25 million lawsuit against officials at Mile Two Church and Legacy Christian Academy. (Trevor Bothorel/CBC) The lawsuit was filed this summer against nearly a dozen officials from Christian Center Academy and Saskatoon Christian Center Church following a CBC News investigation. More than 30 former students claim they suffered extensive deprivation and violence that included sexual, physical and psychological abuse, isolation and homophobic exhortations. The allegations led to an investigation by Saskatchewan’s children’s advocate and the provincial government appointed an independent administrator to run the school this fall. Students say this is not good enough. They wanted the government to close the school or at least suspend the roughly $700,000 in annual taxpayer funds that go to it. The school and adjacent church now operate as Legacy Christian Academy and Mile Two Church. No one has yet filed a statement of defense and none of the allegations have been proven in court. Cassie Klassen says her grandfather, Pastor Keith Johnson, will likely never voluntarily accept responsibility for the damage done to the former Saskatoon Christian Center Academy and Saskatoon Christian Center Church in Saskatoon. (Submitted by Cassie Klassen) The lawsuit papers were served on all but one defendant — Keith Johnson. According to Scharfstein and court records, since Aug. 19 there have been numerous unsuccessful attempts to contact Johnson by phone, at various residences, at a church in Tulsa, Okla., and through various relatives and co-workers. “It’s very similar to Keith Johnson’s behavior. I would imagine he thinks he’s right, he never likes to take responsibility for any of this,” said one of the plaintiffs, Cassie Klassen. Klassen is a former student and church member. She is also Johnson’s granddaughter. Now living in Dallas, Klassen said she cut off all contact with Johnson as an adult. “He just has a very big ego and I don’t think he could ever get to the point of admitting any wrongdoing. He’s kind of like a classic cult leader,” Klassen said, echoing cult comparisons made by other students and the former youth pastor of the church. Former students at Christian Center Academy, now called Legacy Christian Academy, say all government subsidies and tax breaks for the school and the adjacent Mile Two Church should be stopped until police and prosecutors address the abuse allegations. (Jason Warrick/CBC) Johnson’s son-in-law, Dean Schmidt, initially told an Oklahoma official he would help get the documents to Johnson, but now refuses, according to court records. CBC News was unable to reach Johnson by phone, text or Mile Two officials. A Tulsa Church on the Move official, who is cited in court documents, initially said she would take a message to Johnson, but after putting the call on hold for nearly a minute, she returned and said she was new to the job and didn’t know how to do it. Mile Two’s current pastor, Brien Johnson, is Keith Johnson’s son. Earlier this summer, Brien Johnson agreed to an interview with CBC, but then declined. It issued a written statement saying they are taking the allegations seriously and will cooperate with authorities.
