A former director of a Christian school in Saskatoon, Canada, John Olubobokun, has been found guilty of assaulting students with a wooden paddle.
Olubobokun was convicted on nine counts of assault with a weapon on Monday after a provincial court ruled that he repeatedly hit students during his time at Christian Centre Academy, now known as Valour Academy.
Judge Lisa Watson said the Crown proved the allegations beyond a reasonable doubt. She said students testified that Olubobokun called them into his office, told them to bend over a desk or chair, and then struck them several times.
Some students said the beatings left them bruised, and one said the paddle broke during the punishment.
The courtroom was emotional when the verdict was announced. Former students and their supporters cried and hugged each other.
One of the former students, Caitlin Erickson, said, “To have the justice systems say this wasn’t OK, that’s very validating and healing for everybody. It’s been a very long time for us to wait to have our day in court.”
The trial started in June 2024 and continued in March 2025. During the trial, Olubobokun’s lawyer, Ron Piché, argued that the students’ stories were not credible because they did not report the beatings to their parents or police.
He also mentioned a dismissed civil lawsuit worth 25 million Canadian dollars to suggest that some former students were financially motivated.
The case also touched on Section 43 of Canada’s Criminal Code, which allows teachers to use reasonable force for discipline. But the Crown argued that using a paddle was not allowed under this law.
Crown prosecutor Sheryl Fillo said the students were afraid to speak out because the school was closely linked with a church. She said, “These were people that were at the church almost daily — at the school, at the church, at this building, almost daily.”
A date for Olubobokun’s sentencing has not been fixed.
