Former Saskatoon Christian school director denies hitting students with paddle

Hannah Spray · CBC

· Posted: Mar 11, 2025 8:19 PM EDT | Last Updated: 8 minutes ago

A erstwhile manager of a backstage Christian schoolhouse successful Saskatoon is denying allegations that helium utilized a woody paddle to onslaught students.

John Olubobokun is charged with 9 counts of battle with a weapon, stemming from erstwhile helium was manager astatine Christian Centre Academy for 4 years starting successful 2003. The schoolhouse has since been renamed twice, archetypal to Legacy Christian Academy and past Valour Christian Academy.

His proceedings began successful June 2024 successful Saskatoon provincial court, but was adjourned until this week, erstwhile the defence began presenting evidence.

Olubobokun, 64, took the basal successful his ain defence connected Tuesday. His lawyer, Ron Piche, asked him about the allegations each of 9 erstwhile students made against him. Olubobokun said nary of the incidents ever happened.

"Is it your grounds that you ne'er struck immoderate of these radical with a paddle oregon entity oregon adjacent your hand?" Piche asked.

"That is my testimony," Olubobokun replied.

Last summer, erstwhile students testified Olubobokun regularly utilized a woody paddle to onslaught their buttocks arsenic subject for assorted infractions. They said helium got them to crook implicit a seat oregon table and usually struck them 3 times, earlier praying with them.

On Tuesday, Olubobokun testified nether cross-examination by Crown authoritative Sheryl Fillo that helium was alert of students being paddled at the school, but that it was lone carried retired by the main and that helium had ne'er done it arsenic the manager of the school. As director, helium said his occupation was scriptural and spiritual oversight and administration.

Some of the erstwhile students were successful the courtroom to perceive Olubobokun connected the stand. Caitlin Erickson said extracurricular tribunal that she wasn't amazed to perceive the erstwhile director's denials.

"When there's nary defence, denial is the mode to go, I guess, due to the fact that he's denied everything," she said. "Our grounds was truly consistent. Everybody was precise accordant and truthful. And it's casual erstwhile you're telling the truth. So, you know, it's not astonishing fixed this idiosyncratic and each of our past with him, however he's acting contiguous successful the courtroom."

Olubobokun's cross-examination is scheduled to proceed Wednesday morning. Piche said helium would beryllium calling 3 further defence witnesses aft that.