Mario Perron Faced Student-Artwork Lawsuit

In March 2024, parents of 10 students at Westwood Junior High School in Saint-Lazare, Quebec, filed a $1.575 million lawsuit against art teacher Mario Perron and the Lester B. Pearson School Board. According to the lawsuit, Perron assigned 96 students a project called "Creepy Portrait," asking them to draw portraits inspired by the style of American artist Jean-Michel Basquiat. Students later allegedly found their artwork offered on Perron's personal website as prints and on mugs, T-shirts, and cellphone cases, with some items priced as high as $174. The parents accused Perron of using the work without permission and sought $5,000 for each of 31 merchandise listings per student, plus punitive damages.

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