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Basketball coach to blame for student's suicide, says commission

20 Comments

The basketball coach accused of assaulting a 17-year-old high school boy who later committed suicide is to be punished by the school, following a damning report by an investigative commission.

The Sakuranomiya High School boy committed suicide last Dec 23. The investigation found that the coach slapped the boy at least 10 times on the day before his suicide, although the boy told his mother he had been hit 30-40 times. The commission also acknowledged that the boy's suicide was caused, in part, by the physical assaults to which he was regularly subjected.

Meanwhile, Fuji TV reported Wednesday that the Osaka Board of Education will recommend that the school fire the coach as part of its disciplinary action.

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20 Comments
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only "fire"? take away his license, dock his pay!

2 ( +3 / -1 )

Meanwhile, Fuji TV reported Wednesday that the Osaka Board of Education will recommend that the school fire the coach as part of its disciplinary action.

And following this recommendation, they will hopefully hand their findings of this coach's role in his students beating, and bullying, leading to suicide over to the police.

Then he can be tried with this young mans murder, or manslaughter (or at the very least, assault) and thrown in jail, please.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

really? did they need a "commission" to figure that out?

the coach, along with the superintendent, should be prosecuted for their crimes.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

He should go to jail. Seems like a slam dunk to me.

0 ( +3 / -3 )

Punished by the school? Seems a little too late, I think the school should also be punished for not hiring correctly or monitoring their own teachers.

5 ( +6 / -1 )

Punish them (teacher/priccipal/school board) with the LAW.

3 ( +4 / -1 )

Shouldn't he be facing criminal charges? At the very least he should be facing assault charges.

2 ( +4 / -2 )

If the coach was employed by the school, then the school is responsible. They should get busy coming up with a generous compensation package, public apology, and criminal lawsuit against the coach, who was in clear violation of an existing (but seldom enforced) law banning corporal punishment of students by teachers.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

He should go to jail. Seems like a slam dunk to me

Absolutely correct. "Coaching" does not give someone the right to commit assault. He is a criminal -- plain and simple, and any rationale or justification to the contrary just shows how backwards Japan really is when it comes to protecting human rights in its own country.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

Wow! What a bunch of BS! He assaulted the student (not just this time and not just him) and the school and Board of Education are still trying to decide if they should fire him??? This guy must have a lot of power indeed.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Weird comments guys-

They did an investigation and made their recommendation-- that's their job! I would not respect them if they just read about the story on Japan Today and walked in and said "lets fire him". They have to have their own investigation.

Everything looks to be turning out the way it should-- this guy will be fired, probably a pariah forever. Fair enough.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

This guy is a fighter. I think most people would have quit already since he is probably hated by everyone at his school and has received death threats.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Meanwhile, Fuji TV reported Wednesday that the Osaka Board of Education will recommend that the school fire the coach as part of its disciplinary action.

Hashi, here is your chance to make an example of a crappy coach/teacher and yet dragging of heels... I guess he sang Kimigayo. The guy should be fired and charged with assault.

To blame? Not buying it and not enough proof. More than enough proof of power hara and abuse though. Charge hiim with that - should have been done months ago.

-4 ( +0 / -4 )

the Osaka Board of Education will recommend that the school fire the coach

And maybe the school will but not before finding a replacement... so around 2020 when the guy reaches retirement age, so he'll retire, and will be rehired as part-timer.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

The schools needs a recommendation whither to fire him or not? Doesn't the result speak for themselves?

0 ( +0 / -0 )

The investigation found that the coach slapped the boy at least 10 times on the day before his suicide, although the boy told his mother he had been hit 30-40 times.

I'm sorry, but this commission needs to be taken to task for their disrespect towards both the victim and his mother. If the boy said it was 30 to 40 times, then it was 30 to 40 times.

Why am I upset about this seemingly minor detail? Because, including this in the report (especially with this wording) implies that the boy was a liar. Now I'm not saying that he was a perfect little angel just because he is dead, but I do strongly oppose any commission that tries to refute eye-witness testimony (death-bed confessions are treated in most countries with the force of eye witness testimony) and tries to imply that the victim of a crime was a liar.

This is completely unacceptable, and the "commission" shows every sign of being biased. I would strongly suggest appointing a second commission, this time not made up of locals, and reinvestigating. Any commission that would cast aspersions on the final words of the victim is undoubtedly biases, and I suspect covering up more serious incidents.

I find it mind-boggling that this "commission" was so narrow in its focus. If this coach beat one child then he probably beat others, and the commission should have investigated this too. Surely this is important, in ensuring that all his victims are acknowledged and receive justice?

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Another form of school bullying- the effect is the same...

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

He will be demoted to locker room cleaner for a month, salary reduced by 30% for 3 months and then back to normal. Welcome to Japan.

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

Japan is good country I believe that this will not happen again to others

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Wow... only in Japan does it take a COMMISSION to figure out that breaking the law -- and corporal punishment IS against the law -- someone should be recommended for a firing. Break the law and be jailed for it? Nah!

0 ( +0 / -0 )

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