SAITAMA (TR) – The Saitama Prefectural Board of Education on Tuesday announced the disciplinary dismissal of two male high school teachers over separate incidents involving illicit sexual relations with a female student and the voyeuristic filming of naked boys, reports the Saitama Shimbun (June 17).
The board has withheld the names of both educators to protect the identities of the underage victims.
In the first case, a 31-year-old teacher at a prefectural high school in the eastern district engaged in sexual intercourse with a female student multiple times inside a school classroom between July and January.
According to the personnel division, the teacher developed romantic feelings for the girl after repeatedly exchanging messages on social media, eventually crossing the line to satisfy his sexual desires.
Despite the repeated encounters, the teacher claimed he “did not consider them to be dating.” The illicit relationship came to light when the student reported the matter to the principal in late January.
36 naked boys
In the second case, a 32-year-old teacher at a southern district high school was fired after taking tosatsu (secret) footage of male students in a changing room at a school training facility.
Operating as a club advisor, the teacher routinely instructed students to weigh themselves after showering. Over an 11-month period, he used his personal smartphone to secretly record 36 naked boys. He was also found to have sent sexually suggestive messages to students via social media.
Police arrested the 32-year-old in February on suspicion of violating anti-voyeurism laws and manufacturing child pornography.
The 54-year-old principal of the southern district school was formally reprimanded for failing to take appropriate action despite receiving earlier reports about the teacher’s inappropriate messages.
“We take it very seriously that two incidents involving obscene acts have occurred at our prefectural schools,” Saitama Superintendent Kaoru Ishikawa said in a statement. “We will exhaust all means and dedicate our full efforts to eradicating such misconduct.”
