Former Saskatoon Christian school leader found guilty of assaulting students
John Olubobokun was found guilty on all nine counts of assault with a weapon in provincial court on Monday.
For former student Caitlin Erickson, the guilty verdict is a long-awaited moment of justice.
'It was just very emotional to hear the judge validate everything that happened,' Erickson said. 'This was the first time to actually have a judge sit there and just be like, this was not OK, and this was abuse.'
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The assaults occurred during Olubobokun's tenure as the school's director from 2003 to 2007. Charges were not filed until 2023, when several former students came forward, sharing accounts of being struck with a wooden cricket bat-like paddle while attending the private Christian school.
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Erickson, who was among those who came forward, believes the school's multiple name changes over the years, including to Legacy Christian Academy and now Valour Academy, were attempts to distance the institution from the allegations. However, she remains hopeful that accountability will ultimately be taken.
'This is one person, but there was a lot of people… the school leadership, the church leadership that knew what this man was doing,' Erickson said. 'Some of them facilitated or were party to it as well.'
While Olubobokun's conviction is seen as a victory, Erickson emphasized that this is just one step in a much larger fight for justice. She and other former students continue to press forward with additional criminal trials still to come, as well as an appeal of a judge's dismissal of a class-action lawsuit filed back in June.
'We're just gonna continue down this path of just showing up for court, continuing to be there, continuing to have the strength to testify against these people,' Erickson said. 'We'll continue to see this process through.'
Olubobokun will be sentenced later this month.
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