Caitlin Erickson's (centre) is living elsewhere after her home was vandalized and caught fire in two separate incidents (Photo credit/Lisa Schick-CJME).

By Ian Roach

ALL OF THEIR BELONGINGS HAVE BEEN LOST

Home of woman alleging abuse at Christian school is vandalized, catches fire

Nov 15, 2022 | 5:43 PM

A Saskatchewan woman, who has been instrumental in revealing allegations of abuse at Christian schools in the province, and her family have been displaced from their home after a series of suspicious events.

In a social media post on Monday, Caitlin Erickson said she had to move her family from their home because of damage to their security system and a Bible verse spray painted on her house. Because of this incident, Erickson decided to have her family stay elsewhere. The vandalism took place on Nov. 10.

The post goes on to say RCMP notified Erickson that they discovered her house suffered significant fire damage the next day. Nobody was injured in the fire but a snake, geckos, and a hamster were killed.

On Monday, Erickson tweeted “Hey Twitter fam. I am going to not be as active on social media for awhile as the kids and I navigate this. Kiddos and I are in a safe place and they are all in pretty good spirits considering.” The tweet also included a screenshot from a different social media platform with more details about the incidents.

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In an email to battlefordsNOW, Saskatchewan RCMP confirmed many of the details. According to Blaine Lake RCMP, they received a report of vandalism at a home on Nov. 10. The vandalism included graffiti, a break-in, and damage to electronic equipment.

At approximately 10:30 p.m. on Nov. 11, RCMP received a report of suspicious activity at the same home. Responding officers noticed there had been a fire inside the home. RCMP had local fire services check the home to make sure there was nobody inside.

The Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency is investigating the fire and the RCMP are asking anybody with information about the vandalism to contact them. Police say they’re not able to comment on whether any potential link exists between these incidents.

Erickson said she and other students that attended Mile Two Church and Legacy Christian Academy (previously Saskatoon Christian Centre and Christian Centre Academy) experienced sexual, physical, and emotional abuse during her time as a student. Erickson is part of a lawsuit against the Christian school over allegations of abuse.

More recently, Erickson has drawn attention to the curriculum of some Christian schools in Saskatchewan suggesting parts of it are out of date and not based on science.

Erickson’s sister Julia has set up a GoFundMe page to raise money. As of Tuesday afternoon, close to $14,000 has been raised. The goal is $50,000. In the GoFundMe description, Julia Erickson said Caitlin’s family is safe, but they lost everything.

“Thankfully, she and the children in her care are safe as they were not at home during the time of the fire. However, all of their belongings have been lost,” the post said.

After reading Caitlin’s post on social media many supporters are drawing a connection between Caitlin Erickson’s criticism of Christian schools and the damage to her home. Others delivered words of support.

Dr. Dennis Kendel said “I am so saddened to learn of these horrible threats to your safety & the safety of your family. I hope the RCMP will identify and charge the persons responsible. Stay in a safe place.”

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With files from paNOW.com and 650 CKOM

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ian.roach@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @IanRoachSK