In Saint Lazare, Quebec, junior high school art teacher Mario Perron in is under investigation for allegedly selling his students’ paintings and drawings online without their permission and pocketing the money. Apparently, one of Perron’s students at Westwood Junior High School searched his name online and found websites offering his work for sale. After that, many other students realized multiple websites offered print-on-demand products emblazoned with their artwork. Some of the kids’ parents have since filed a legal action against the teacher and the school.
“The items, priced between 30USD and 120USD, were used without the consent of their creators, in bad faith, and in violation of all laws related to the intellectual property of an artist,” reads the complaint. “Nothing authorized Mr. P. to appropriate the work of his students for personal gains. This act is even more egregious as it stems from the use of material created by students in a school setting, under authority, and sold with impunity at high prices.”
From Oddity Central:
CTV News first reported on the art teacher’s questionable business practice on February 9, days after his students discovered that their artworks were being sold on the teacher’s personal website and showcased on his social media pages. Apparently, they were available on multiple items, including t-shirts, coffee mugs, and phone cases, for anywhere between $30 and $151. The artworks even referenced the students’ first names in their listings, with names like “Logan’s Creepy Portrait” or “Julia’s Creepy Portrait”.
After the news went viral internationally, making headlines in the US, UK, and even Australia, the art teacher disabled his Facebook and LinkedIn accounts and deleted the students’ art from his personal website. More than 90 of his students’ paintings and drawings were available on the website before the scandal began. The teacher has yet to issue a statement on this matter.
