Montreal elementary school won’t let Homolka volunteer

MONTREAL — A private Montreal elementary school is moving to quell public fears following media reports about Karla Homolka doing some volunteer work there.

The school, operated by the Seventh-day Adventist Church, says it will no longer let anyone with a criminal record to volunteer in any capacity on school grounds.

The church issued a brief statement Thursday that didn’t mention Homolka by name, but said it has “heard and listened to the concerns of parents and members of the community uncomfortable with recent reports in the media.”

Local media captured images of Homolka using a purse to hide her face Wednesday morning as she dropped off her children outside the school in Montreal’s Notre-Dame-de-Grâce neighbourhood.

On Tuesday, City News reported Homolka had occasionally volunteered at the school, including supervising a field trip and bringing her dog into the classroom to interact with children.

A spokesperson for the church told the TV station earlier this week Homolka was not a regular volunteer and was not allowed to be alone with the children.

Thursday’s statement said the church would have no further comment. The school didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

Homolka and ex-husband Paul Bernardo were convicted of crimes related to the rape and murder of two schoolgirls, Kristen French and Leslie Mahaffy.

Homolka struck a deal with prosecutors where she served 12 years in prison for manslaughter while Bernardo was convicted of murder and is serving a life sentence. Homolka was released in 2005 after serving her full sentence and has settled in Quebec.