A private Christian school in N.D.G. is at the center of a controversy following a report that a convicted killer has been volunteering and interacting with students.
According to the school Karla Homolka has participated in the classroom at Greaves Adventist Academy on at least two occasions and according to a report by City TV she may have helped supervise children on a field trip to the Montreal Science Centre.
On Wednesday morning as Homolka dropped her children off at the school several parents came to her defence.
"It is written everyone of us is sinful and we must forgive because God is a forgiving God!" said a parent to reporters. "Leave her alone!"
Another parent said he was comfortable with her presence at the school.
One parent who wished to remain anonymous told City she and other parents are furious with the school for allowing Homolka near students. The woman said she and others have complained to the school principal and wonder how someone with her past could have cleared the mandatory background check.
"I can answer it quite simply. She is not a volunteer" Stan Jensen, communication director for the Seventh-day Adventist Church, told CJAD 800.
"What happened at the school was a teacher asked her to show something about knitting, she was not alone with the children" Jensen said. "You would not need a criminal background check for that."
On another occasion Homolka brought in a dog for her child's show and tell.
Jensen did not confirm whether or not she was a volunteer supervisor on the reported field trip.
Greaves Adventist Academy and Seventh-day Adventist Church are fully aware of Homolka's past.
A West Island man who identified himself to CJAD as Geoff says he visited the school 2 months ago to hand out flyers to parents alerting them to her identity.
He said though her children are entitled to an education, considering her past Homolka should keep her distance.
"A different story is dropping off your kid and going on your way," he said. "To volunteer and that, that seems like is she trying to prove a point?"
Karla Homolka was released from prison in 2005 after having served 12 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to manslaughter in the deaths of two Ontario school girls, Leslie Mahaffy and Kristen French, as well as the rape and death of her 15-year-old sister Tammy.
Upon her release a judge ruled she still posed a risk to the public and applied 14 conditions on Homolka under Section 810.2 of the Criminal Code. Of those conditions, one stated she was forbidden from seeking, accepting or keeping paid, unpaid or volunteer work that would put her in a position of authority over minors under the age of 16.
However four months later the conditions were lifted after a new ruling found no evidence Homolka remained a real danger to the public.
"She's free to do as she pleases which is pretty difficult for my clients" Tim Danson, the lawyer representing the French and Mahaffy families. "She gets to do things that my clients will never be able to do."
Danson said if school officials were fully aware of her history and she was still invited to speak to students, their judgement needs to be questioned.
"I've said it from the beginning, and I'll say it today as one who has actually seen the video tapes on many occasions, so I know exactly what she did. This woman is a psychopath" Danson said.
"I don't believe there is a cure for psychopathy and if I had children at that school I would certainly be very, very alarmed."
The Quebec Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, which runs Greaves Adventist Academy, invited parents with concerns to contact the Quebec Conference office of Education.
In collaboration with Kelly Lapare and Emily Campbell