Local man gets probation over assault of golf course employee

By ZOE MASON on January 7, 2026.

Gerald Freedman, retired investment broker and prominent local philanthropist, was sentenced in Medicine Hat Court of Justice on Tuesday for an assault that occurred at Desert Blume Golf Course last spring.

Freedman was originally charged with sexual assault, but pled guilty to the lesser charge of simple assault.

The offence took place in May 2025, when the then-19-year-old victim was working a summer job as a waitress at the golf course.

According to details shared by the Crown in court Tuesday, Freedman, a member of the club, was paying his cheque when he approached the counter, pulled the victim toward him and kissed her cheek.

The offence was captured on the golf club’s CCTV footage, which was later shared with the RCMP.

Speaking with the News on Tuesday, the victim said she told Freedman he was too close to her just prior to the assault taking place, information she says was included in her original statement but not stated in court.

The victim also wished to clarify that Freedman kissed her on the neck. The News is not identifying the victim.

The following day, she returned to work at Desert Blume, where she encountered Freedman again. She says she stepped into the kitchen, a staff-only area, to avoid him, but he followed her in and attempted to make conversation with her until another staff member asked him to leave.

The assault occurred on May 23. The victim brought it to the attention of the management at Desert Blume, who recommended she take the matter to the RCMP.

She filed a report to the RCMP on May 26. Desert Blume informed the victim that Freedman had been suspended indefinitely from the golf club the same day that the RCMP report was filed.

After the victim elected to seek charges, Freedman was arrested without incident on May 30.

The victim read a victim impact statement to the courtroom Tuesday in which she described the lingering effects of the assault, which she says left her feeling powerless and hyperaware of others’ perception of her in the workplace and beyond.

She told the courtroom she hopes Freedman and the public alike take home the lesson that consent and boundaries matter.

Freedman was sentenced to 12 months probation and the completion of court-mandated counselling about personal boundaries. If these conditions are met, Freedman will be discharged without a conviction.

The terms of Freedman’s probation include good behaviour, regular reports to a probation officer and no contact with the victim. Freedman must also remain at least 50 metres away from the victim’s residence, school, place of worship and place of business.

Since the victim may be returning to her role at Desert Blume, Freedman was advised by the court he would only be permitted to attend the golf club if he was certain the victim was not present.

Desert Blume confirmed to the News on Tuesday that Freedman remains suspended from the course indefinitely.

The victim says the decision to go to police was one of the most difficult she’s ever made.

She says she feared people would perceive her as causing trouble for a prominent member of the community.

“I’ve got to stand up for myself, but also for other women to show that your boundaries matter. I would be doing myself and everybody a disservice if I didn’t do something about it,” she told the News.

The victim says she is grateful she wasn’t subject to the additional stresses of a trial, but she feels some frustration about the leniency of the sentence.

“I feel like he got let off easy,” she said. “I’ve sat for seven months and tried to think about what I want out of this. What do I think is appropriate? I guess I did get what I wanted. He heard the victim impact statement. He has to do some rehabilitation himself. So in that sense, I got that part of what I wanted. But I think the accountability could have been a bit more.”

She says it’s important to her that the community knows about her experience.

“I want people to know, I did this for myself, but I also did it for other women. We’re so focused on getting women to speak out, but it’s hard to do, and I understand that, but that’s the only way we’ll ever see change.”

With the sentencing behind her, she says she hopes she can begin to leave this chapter behind.

Freedman’s sentence was agreed jointly by the Crown and defence and confirmed by the judge Tuesday. The sentence took multiple factors in consideration, including that this was 77-year-old Freedman’s first offence.

Freedman’s lawyer cited his long record of philanthropy as one reason for lenient treatment in his sentencing. While the judge acknowledged Freedman’s record of service, he added that his stature in the community likely compounded the difficulty for the victim in bringing forward the assault.

Freedman is a known donor and fundraiser for several community organizations, including the Esplanade, the Medicine Hat Women’s Shelter Society and Medicine Hat College.

Freedman was awarded the city’s Civic Recognition Award for humanitarianism in 2017.

The News attempted to contact Freedman for comment, but did not receive a reply in time for publication.