Former Christian school director given 18-month conditional sentence for paddling students

The former director of Legacy Christian Academy has been handed an 18-month conditional sentence for padding students who once attended the school.

Earlier this year, John Olubobokun was found guilty of nine counts of assault with a weapon. Judge Lisa Watson’s sentencing decision was delivered on Thursday at Saskatoon Provincial Court.

Read more:

• Sentencing delayed for former Saskatoon Christian school director
• Former Saskatoon Christian school director found guilty of assault with a weapon
• Former Christian school director on trial denies paddling students

Conditions of the community sentence include anger management courses, a set curfew and community service.

Olubobokun took on the director role in 2003, serving four years at the school then known as Christian Centre Academy. It has since been renamed as Valour Academy. Its affiliated church, Mile Two Church, was also renamed Encounter Church.

According to Watson, sentencing was delayed in October due to extremely far apart proposals between the Crown and defence.

The Crown argued Olubobokun’s sentence should be approximately two years of jail time plus an additional three years of probation. However, defence lawyer Ron Piché wanted an 18-month conditional discharge.

In March, Olubobokun testified that while he was aware of paddling at the school, saying he never did so himself and never had a paddle in his office.

The former Christian school director had also said paddles were removed from the school following the Supreme Court Ruling on corporal punishment in 2003.

Watson rejected his claim and said she did not find Olubobokun’s testimony credible and believed he directly participated in disciplining students by paddling.

Olubobokun is one of multiple former staff members handed criminal charges after a group of former students came forward with allegations of abuse.

In January 2024, the school’s former athletic director Aaron Travis Benneweis was given a two-year sentence after pleading guilty to charges of sexual assault and sexual exploitation of a minor.

In May, the school’s former principal Duff Friesen was found guilty of assault with a weapon and is set to be sentenced at Court of King’s Bench on Nov. 28.

Former director and vice-principal of Christian Centre Academy Ken Schultz pleaded not guilty to charges of sexual assault and assault with a weapon. His case currently remains before the courts.

More to come.

–with files from 650 CKOM’s Marija Robinson