A prominent Helsinki design school has collapsed into bankruptcy following allegations of systematic non-payment of teacher salaries spanning nearly a decade. The Helsinki Design School, which offered creative industry education in photography, fashion design, and visual merchandising, now faces multiple police investigations and bankruptcy proceedings.
Fashion designer and entrepreneur Paola Suhonen filed the bankruptcy petition after waiting nearly five years for over 20,000 euros in unpaid teaching fees. Court documents reveal even more staggering numbers across the institution's operations. At least 33 teachers reportedly went unpaid with total outstanding payments exceeding 125,000 euros.
Court documents paint a troubling picture of the school's financial practices. Teachers allege the school's founder and managing director Jani Aromäki repeatedly recruited new instructors to replace those who hadn't been paid. Some educators claim they faced pressure or inducement to avoid pursuing their unpaid fees through legal channels.
The police have launched a preliminary investigation into the matter. Authorities will determine whether sufficient grounds exist to suspect criminal activity and proceed with a formal pre-trial investigation. Multiple teachers and students have filed criminal reports concerning the school's operations.
Communication records between Suhonen and Aromäki show a pattern of broken promises and delayed payments spanning from January through October. In text messages and emails, Aromäki repeatedly proposed various payment plans that never materialized while offering numerous explanations for the delays.
These excuses ranged from accounting office busyness and bank service disruptions to personal issues like family illness and even Easter holidays. The pattern appears systematic rather than temporary financial difficulty, with documents indicating the practice dates back to 2014.
Suhonen's final messages to Aromäki in October expressed frustration after years of patience. 'I've really waited almost 5 years and fought about these with you,' she wrote. 'You've really had all these years to fix things.' When payments still hadn't arrived by October, she informed Aromäki she would pursue legal action.
The school's website closed on October 31 with a lengthy post announcing the end of operations. The statement claimed Aromäki had suffered 'by far the largest financial losses' in the matter. The school filed for bankruptcy itself just three days after Suhonen's petition.
This case highlights vulnerabilities in Finland's private education sector, particularly among specialized creative institutions. Students paid for year-long programs that didn't lead to officially recognized vocational qualifications approved by the Finnish National Agency for Education.
The Helsinki District Court declared the school bankrupt on November 18. The closure leaves questions about consumer protection in private education and the mechanisms for addressing systematic non-payment of professionals in creative industries.
What does this mean for Finland's design education landscape? The case may prompt closer scrutiny of private educational institutions and their financial practices. It also raises concerns about the protection of freelance educators and students investing in specialized training programs.
The situation demonstrates how even established creative institutions can face serious operational challenges. Students and teachers now face the consequences of an educational provider's financial collapse, with unpaid professionals and students who may have invested significant funds without receiving promised education.