TOKYO (TR) – A public high school in Machida City has apologized to a boy after the emergence online of a video that purportedly shows a male teacher assaulting him, reports Fuji News Network (Jan. 18).
On January 15, the teacher slapped the boy across the face, causing him to fall up against a wall in a hallway. The pair then scuffled along the floor before other students interceded, according to the clip uploaded to Twitter.
“My emotions got the best of me,” the teacher was quoted. “I am reflecting [upon my actions].”
After the incident, the school filed a report with the Tokyo Metropolitan Board of Education. “It is not possible to confirm whether [the video] is genuine, but it is consistent with the details we received from the school,” the board of education said.
According to the school, the teacher, aged in his 50s, is the head of a counseling section. The incident took place after he and the boy, a first-year student, got into an argument. The boy suffered a cut to the inside of his mouth.
“I have always told teachers that corporal punishment is not permissible,” said Shingo Nobuoka, the principal of the school. “I would like to offer an apology to the student.”
Two days after the incident, the school apologized to the boy and his parents. However, the student refused to accept the apology.
At a meeting, Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike said on Friday that she had been involved in the preparation of guidelines for training in schools. “In light of this, it is regrettable that such a situation happened,” Koike said.
The board of education will consider a punishment in the case once all of the facts are confirmed.
