If you have never heard of Karla Homolka, consider yourself lucky. She is a convicted teen killer from Canada who, along with then-husband Paul Bernardo, raped and killed three teenage girls. One of her victims was Homolka’s own sister.
In 1993, Bernardo and Homolka were arrested for their crimes, but Homolka took a plea bargain claiming she had been abused by Bernardo herself and was an unwilling accomplice. Because of this, she only got 12 years in prison for manslaughter while Paul Bernardo is serving a full life sentence.
Later, videotapes of Bernardo and Homolka’s crimes surfaced and it was apparent that she had an extremely active role in the crimes. Her plea bargain has since been dubbed the «Deal with the Devil.»
In 2005, Karla Homolka was released from prison and moved to Quebec, Canada. She re-married and give birth to a baby boy. In 2007 it was reported that she had changed her name to Leanne Teale.
Since then, she has had two more children and is now living in Montreal, Quebec. When residents found out she was in their neighborhood, there were calls for police action though really there was nothing to be done. She is not a registered sex offender so there is no need to notify the public.
Homolka had kept a low profile since 2016, when it was announced she was living in Montreal, but now she’s making headlines again and this time parents want answers.
Parents at Greaves Adventist Academy, a private Christian school, found out that Homolka’s kids not only attend their school, but she also volunteers with the students.
“When I first read the paper, I thought it was a hoax,” Andy Maraj, whose daughter attends Grade 3 with one of Homolka’s children, said.
Maraj is upset that Homolka was allowed interaction with the students at all, claiming the school should have done more.
“That’s not even supposed to happen, because once you have a (criminal) record, you’re not supposed to be in the school,” he said. “They could have asked her to stay in the car, and have someone escort her kids into the school, and not to bring her dog. And it’s not her fault, it’s (the school’s) fault. It’s really terrible that they would allow this.”
“How would you feel knowing that your child is interacting with a person who is a serial killer? It’s not right,» asks one parent, who chooses to remain anonymous.
And it’s not just occasional visits into the classroom either. Sources connected to the school also say Homolka was a parent supervisor for a kindergarten class during a field trip to the Montreal Science Center.
But if parents are expecting an apology from the school, they won’t be getting one.
The Seventh-Day Adventist church released the following statement regarding parents’ concerns.
“The Quebec Conference of Seventh-day Adventists and the administration of Greaves Adventist Academy are committed to providing quality education and enriching learning experiences to its students,” the statement read. “While we work through the concerns stated by parents and other stakeholders, we welcome those associated with the school to contact the Quebec Conference office of Education.”
What’s worse, is that the school had done a background check and still agreed it was appropriate to have her chaperone.
“The school board was fully aware of who she is. She is not a regular volunteer, and can never be alone with any children, either in school or churches,” Seventh-day Adventist Church spokesman Stan Jensen told CityNews. “It is protocol for all of our schools across Canada, and most of the world, to do background checks, not only on teachers, but [also] volunteers as well as clergy. As I said, she is not a regular volunteer. Rarely would she have cause to go into the school, and when she is, she is never alone.”
One woman outside the school seemed to be on Homolka’s side.
“In the name of Jesus, leave her alone,” she yelled. “It is written that everyone of us is sinful and we must forgive, because God is a forgiving God. Leave her alone.”
Parents are already looking into different education options come September, feeling violated and uninformed about who is interacting with their children.
But still, the school will defend their decision to keep Homolka as a volunteer.
“The school has been here for a long time and we have never been involved in anything contrary to the proper norms of the students,” school superintendent Marc Bouzy said on May 17. “There is no reason for anyone to be concerned about the way we do things right now for the benefit of the students in our community. The ministry only gives permits to schools that are a safe place for students attending. In no way is it an issue for the community.»
