SaskatoonFormer Christian Centre Academy director John Olubobokun is seeking a conditional discharge for hitting several students from the private school with a wooden paddle in 2003. Olubobokun pleaded guilty this week to five assault charges. John Olubobokun seeks a conditional discharge after pleading guilty to assaulting students in 2003Jeremy Warren · CBC News · Posted: Dec 04, 2025 3:03 PM EST | Last Updated: 1 hour agoListen to this articleEstimated 2 minutesThe audio version of this article is generated by text-to-speech, a technology based on artificial intelligence.John Olubobokun (centre) stands with supporters and his lawyer Ron Piche (far right) outside Saskatoon Provincial Court after sentencing related to his first trial on Nov. 20, 2025. (Jeremy Warren/CBC)Former Christian Centre Academy director John Olubobokun is seeking a conditional discharge for hitting several students from the private school with a wooden paddle in 2003.Olubobokun, 65, returned to Saskatoon provincial court Thursday morning for sentencing arguments two days after he pleaded guilty to five assault charges and admitted he assaulted several students with a wooden paddle while director of the private Christian school.His lawyer, Ron Piche, argued for an 18-month conditional discharge, including a 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. curfew, 75 hours of community service and a ban on alcohol, drugs and firearms.A conditional discharge means the convictions would not be on Olubobokun’s criminal record if he follows the conditions of his sentence.Crown prosecutor Sheryl Fillo argued for a jail sentence of two years less a day followed by two years of probation.Judge Douglas Agnew set aside his sentencing decision until 2 p.m. CST.Olubobokun spoke in court Thursday morning after victim impact statements were read into the court record.“I’m deeply sorry to see the impact of my actions,” Olubobokun said. “I can only pray that God will grant us forgiveness.”Christian Centre Academy was later renamed Legacy Christian Academy, then Valour Academy. The school is closely associated with Mile Two Church (now called Encounter Church), where Olubobokun also held a position as a church elder.This is Olubobokun’s second court matter connected to his time at the school.In July 2025, a judge found him guilty of nine counts of assault with a weapon for hitting students with a wooden paddle when he was the school’s director for four years, starting in 2003.On Nov. 20, he received an 18-month jail sentence to be served in the community.ABOUT THE AUTHORJeremy Warren is a reporter in Saskatoon. You can reach him at jeremy.warren@cbc.ca.
Former director of Saskatoon private Christian school expected to be sentenced
