(Montreal) A group of 10 parents from the Montreal area are suing a high school teacher and a school board after artistic work done in class by their children was put up for sale online.
In this case brought before the Superior Court of Quebec, the plaintiffs are seeking $155,000 per family, plus damages and an apology written by Westwood High School art teacher Mario Perron and the Lester school board. B.Pearson.
A file dated March 15 indicates that Mr. Perron asked his students at the Saint-Lazare school to create a “scary portrait” inspired by the style of the artist Jean-Michel Basquiat.
The documents allege that the students discovered in February that the teacher was selling their artwork online without their consent, as prints or on T-shirts, coffee mugs, bags and decorations, for prices ranging from $9.50 to $113.
The suit accuses the teacher of violating copyright laws and undermining the trust of parents and students. The plaintiffs demand that the students’ work be removed from the sale site.
The Lester B. Pearson School Board declined to comment on the lawsuit, but said in February that it was investigating the allegations and taking them seriously.