Sentencing delayed for former Saskatoon Christian school director

The former director of a Saskatoon Christian school was sentenced on Wednesday after his conviction for assaulting former students at the school.

John Olubobokun, who served as director of Legacy Christian Academy from 2003 to 2007, was convicted of nine counts of assault with a weapon in July for hitting former students at the school with a wooden paddle.

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On Wednesday, Judge Lisa Watson said she wouldn’t be delivering a sentence, yet.

According to the judge, the sentencing is delayed because the Crown and defence were extremely far apart on their sentencing proposals. The Crown argued the sentence should be almost two years of prison time plus an additional three years of probation. The Crown also noted that the sentence should take into consideration the number of victims, the period of time, and the position of trust and authority Olubobokun held.

Defence lawyer Ron Piché told media that the public view Olubobokun, “as a guy who assaulted a bunch of kids. But that’s just the tip of the iceberg. There’s so much more to this story.” (Marija Robinson/650 CKOM)

Defence lawyer Ron Piché disagreed, saying that Olubobokun should be handed an 18-month conditional discharge.

“Which is fairly long, and if the offender abides by those conditions, at the end of that period, his discharge becomes absolute. The Criminal Code says he can tell anybody he has no criminal record,” Piché said in his explanation of how the discharge works.

With a conditional discharge, Olubobokun would be able to apply for jobs or a passport without a criminal record. It would also allow him to keep traveling to Nigeria, where he’s from, according to Piché.

Caitlin Erickson said even with the delay, she’s happy to be getting further through the process. But, “it’s never great sitting in the same room as your childhood abuser,” she said. (Marija Robinson/650 CKOM)

One of the nine victims, Caitlin Erickson, said the decision to delay the sentencing was disappointing, although she recognized that the judge has a lot of factors to consider for this case.

But, while Olubobokun wasn’t sentenced, he did hear the impact statements from two of the victims.

While sharing how his abuse impacted her, Erickson became emotional and said that Olubobokun harmed her “at a period in my life when I was the most vulnerable.” She told the court that she hasn’t gone a single day without thinking of the abuse, adding she said how Olubobokun twisted his role as an educator into a weapon.

While speaking with reporters, Coy Nolin said that writing his statement was difficult because it forced him to reflect on how the abuse impacted him long-term. “It was hard to recognize the lasting effects,” he said. (Marija Robinson/650 CKOM)

Coy Nolin also shared how the abuse impacted him, saying “the bruises faded, but the damage has been permanent.”

Nolin said that he has constant nightmares and while he’s done everything to heal, the abuse he suffered isn’t just a memory and is within his nervous system.

“You didn’t just strike my body, you struck at who I was, who I might have been,” Nolin said while reading his impact statement to the court.

While Olubobokun had an opportunity to speak, he only addressed the courtroom for a couple of minutes, saying that he regrets how long this case has taken and making reference to the “Heavenly Father.”

Erickson wasn’t shocked Olubobokun didn’t apologize to the victims, but was surprised that he didn’t, “use the opportunity to try and look apologetic, at least in front of the judge.”

Judge Watson said she’ll hand out her sentence in a month.

John Olubobokun, former executive director of Legacy Christian Academy, arrives at the Saskatoon provincial courthouse on Nov. 16, 2023. (Lara Fominoff/650 CKOM)

The independent school on Pinehouse Drive in Saskatoon, which was also formerly known as Christian Centre Academy, has since been been renamed Valour Academy. Its affiliated church, Mile Two Church, was recently renamed Encounter Church.

A number of other former staff members at the school have faced criminal charges after a group of former students came forward, alleging they endured years of abuse.

Aaron Travis Benneweis, the school’s former athletic director, was handed a two-year sentence in January of 2024 after pleading guilty to charges of sexual assault and sexual exploitation of a minor. Duff Friesen, the school’s former principal, was found guilty of assault with a weapon in May and is set to be sentenced next month. Ken Schultz, another former staff member, has pleaded not guilty to charges of sexual assault and assault with a weapon. His case remains before the courts.

“It’s been a very long time for us to wait to have our day in court and for justice to play out,” Caitlin Erickson, a former student who testified during Olubobokun’s trial, told reporters following his conviction.

She described it as “a win” for the alumni who testified in court and for other students who once attended the school.

Erickson was one of a number of former students who launched a $25 million class-action lawsuit against several individuals affiliated with the school and church, but the lawsuit was dismissed by a judge in June after he found that the plaintiffs failed to immediately disclose settlements reached with three of the defendants in the case.