Saskatoon mayor looks to integrity commissioner after 'serious allegations' against city councillor

Saskatoon mayor Charlie Clark is looking to the city’s integrity commissioner and administration following allegations that a councillor physically assaulted a former student of the Legacy Christian Academy.

“Serious allegations have been made against a colleague,” Mayor Charlie Clark said in a statement released today.

“It takes tremendous courage for the students to come forward and share their stories and there must be due process for the investigations to take place.”

The statement comes after allegations that councillor Randy Donauer paddled a former student of Legacy Christian Academy at a church camp in 2003, when the student was 16-years-old.

Donauer denies the allegations.

“I deny any wrongdoing. If any of these unsubstantiated assertions are made against me, I will vigorously defend them,” said Donauer.

Clark says he has received many questions about what council can do to respond to the allegations.

Council has previously adopted a code of conduct and hired an integrity commissioner, and Clark has called for a report from administration with the “intention of having an independent process to handle issues of concern regarding members of City Council,” the statement said.

“The integrity of our governance process and the confidence of the public in this process is very important to me.”