Montreal Parents Are Demanding Justice & $350K From A Teacher Who Sold Students' Artwork
They're threatening to sue the school board as well.
The entrance to Westwood Junior High.
A Montreal school is caught up in legal drama as parents confront a local teacher for turning their children's art into a profit-making venture. Mario Perron, an art teacher at Westwood Junior High, allegedly sold student artwork online without getting consent or giving compensation.
Legal representatives for the parents argue that Perron's actions, which involved commercializing student art on various items like mugs and t-shirts, amount to "2,976 distinct violations of intellectual property laws."
"In Canada, the law is clear that each act of intellectual property infringement entails payment by the offender of an amount ranging from $500 to $20,000 per violation," according to a statement from BDeB Lawyers & HR Consultants.
This situation came to light when students discovered Perron's professional profile on fineartamerica.com, featuring numerous items for sale adorned with their artwork. The controversy centers around a "Creepy Portrait" project that encouraged students to create art reminiscent of Jean-Michel Basquiat's style, without directly copying his works. Despite Perron's initial warnings against plagiarism, he apparently listed the student artworks for sale, with item prices set between $30 and $120.
A legal notice issued on February 13 demands swift action from both the Lester B. Pearson School Board and Perron, calling for an immediate end to the sale of the artwork, Perron's suspension from teaching duties, the removal of misappropriated artwork from all platforms, and a detailed sales report.
It also requests an apology letter to the impacted students and their families, along with $350,000 in compensation. The figure combines copyright infringement penalties with payment for moral and punitive damages.
With increasing public scrutiny, there's potential for collective legal action by the parents and students against both Perron and the school board, including possible criminal charges against the teacher.
The case raises questions about how schools manage student creations and protect intellectual property rights in the digital age.