Olubobokun denies paddling 9 scholars whilst personal Christian college director

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John Olubobokun denies allegations from 9 former Saskatoon Christian Centre Academy scholars who say the previous director hit them with paddles as a part of “scriptural punishment” that was once traditionally practised on the college.

When Olubobokun’s legal professional went via every pupil’s testimony, asking if he ever hit them with a paddle or some other object, Olubobokun responded “I didn’t.”

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He took the stand on Tuesday all over the continuation of his Saskatoon provincial court docket trial, which started in June 2024.

The Crown had closed its case when the trial was once adjourned to October for defence proof. It didn’t continue.

On the time, Olubobokun was once represented by means of defence legal professional Daniel Tangjerd. Ron Piché was once retained in a while after. On Tuesday, he informed court docket the defence can be calling the accused and 3 different witnesses over the following 3 days.

Olubobokun, 64, is charged with 9 counts of attack with a weapon. He’s accused of hitting former scholars with a wood paddle whilst they attended Christian Centre Academy within the 2000s.

Most of the scholars testified that they have been informed they have been being punished for disobeying authority, and paddles have been bought to folks on the college’s affiliated church, then Saskatoon Christian Centre.

The non-public north-end college have been renamed to Legacy Christian Academy when allegations began popping out in 2022. It’s now referred to as Valour Academy.

Olubobokun testified that he joined the church in 1987 and become a deacon in 1992. He mentioned paddles have been got rid of from the varsity after he become director in 2003 to conform to a Preferrred Court docket ruling on corporal punishment.

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He mentioned ahead of that, Pastor Keith Johnson had a “kid coaching” guide that incorporated “scriptural self-discipline” with a paddle.

“The director responded to the pastor. The director responded to Keith Johnson,” Olubobokun mentioned when defining the varsity’s hierarchy. He mentioned he left the varsity in 2007 over a confrontation with Johnson, who ran the varsity and church.

He testified that the self-discipline construction started with a caution, demerits, a warning, detention after which paddling.

Brothers Cole, Coy and Cody Nolin testified that they have been all hit on a lot of events.

Cody mentioned he was once kicked out of the varsity for refusing to get paddled. When he was once allowed again in 2003, he mentioned Olubobokun hit him with a paddle and accused him of “padding” his pants when he didn’t cry.

Cole mentioned Olubobokun hit him with a paddle loads of instances when he was once 12 years previous. He described one example of being hit at house for no longer finishing his day by day devotions.

Coy testified to being hit six instances for a hearsay he was once accused of beginning ahead of he was once hospitalized in 2003, and for disobeying authority when he informed Olubobokun to go away his medical institution room.

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Olubobokun mentioned he visited Coy within the medical institution, however denied being kicked out by means of a nurse for refusing to go away. He mentioned there was once a disruption from a pal who mentioned Coy didn’t wish to learn the Bible or pray, which took him by means of wonder. 

Coy mentioned Olubobokun hit him 3 extra instances at his house whilst talking in tongues in an try to get the “homosexual daemon” out of him after he admitted to having a sexual dating with some other male pupil.

Name callings have been heard within the court when the previous director mentioned he by no means hit the brothers with a paddle or went to their house for any reason why. He mentioned house visits have been once in a while made at both a father or mother or pastor’s request, and the oldsters have been all the time provide.

Caitlin Erickson testified about 5 or 6 events when Olubobokun hit her for refusing to present him the identify of the male nurse who got rid of him from Coy’s medical institution room, for refusing to take the blame for his daughter’s offended outburst in a rest room all over a volleyball recreation, and for an accusation of mendacity a few classmate’s suicidal ideations.

She mentioned once in a while, her volleyball trainer was once in his place of business when she was once hit. Olubobokun denied ever hitting Erickson, both whilst she was once by myself or within the presence of any individual else, and mentioned he all the time stored his place of business door ajar when assembly with scholars, particularly Erickson.

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“With Caitlin Erickson, you’re taking the whole thing she says with 10 grains of salt,” Olubobokun informed Crown prosecutor Sheryl Fillo all over cross-examination.

He mentioned he was once accountable for “non secular and scriptural oversight and management,” and the director place was once above the fundamental, who oversaw the “nitty-gritty” workings on the college.

“With regards to the scholars, how have been you concerned with self-discipline?” Fillo requested. Olubobokun first of all mentioned he had no involvement, then clarified that he was once once in a while concerned with suspensions.

He mentioned he didn’t have a paddle in his place of business as it was once the fundamental’s process to dole out bodily self-discipline.

Fillo confirmed him a letter he wrote in 2004 that mentioned he would give Coy “scriptural self-discipline” when he was once launched from medical institution for sharing irrelevant jokes round college.

Olubobokun mentioned this is able to were the primary time he paddled a male pupil as director, however the self-discipline by no means came about.

Fillo puzzled why he would paddle a pupil if it was once the fundamental’s responsibility, suggesting that he’d been paddling scholars all alongside. Olubobokun mentioned simply because he’d by no means accomplished it, doesn’t imply he couldn’t do it.

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“I used to be a person below orders,” he responded.

Olubobokun mentioned he realized about circle of relatives abuse allegations whilst investigating Coy’s involvement within the jokes. He mentioned that resulted in an adults-only assembly at some other circle of relatives’s house. None of it excited about homosexuality as a result of he didn’t know Coy was once homosexual, Olubobokun testified.

He informed Fillo that they most probably prayed in tongues all over the assembly, which is conventional in charismatic Christianity. He mentioned he doesn’t recall ever praying in tongues with scholars.

Olubobokun is certainly one of 4 ex-administrators charged in 2023 with historic attacks after former scholars filed a $25 million elegance motion lawsuit alleging bodily and sexual abuse on the college. 

Ken Schultz, who was once director ahead of Olubobokun, is charged with sexual attack and attack with a weapon. Duff Friesen, the varsity’s former fundamental, is charged with 11 counts of attack with a weapon.

Their King’s Bench jury trials are scheduled for Would possibly.

Fillo will proceed her cross-examination on Wednesday.

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