Schoolboy seeks damages for being named most disliked person in class

The Mainichi Shimbun
May 10, 2008
Source: http://mdn.mainichi.jp/national/news/20080510p2a00m0na013000c.html

CHIBA -- A schoolboy and his parents have filed a lawsuit seeking 10 million yen in damages for emotional distress after a teacher announced him as the most disliked person in his class, based on a survey, it was learned Saturday.

The boy attends a junior high school in Chiba. In April 2005, when he was in his fourth year of elementary school, the teacher in charge of his class at the time made the students list up the names of classmates they liked and disliked, according to the suit.

About one week later, after receiving a majority vote, the teacher announced the student's name as the most disliked person in class.

As a result of the announcement, the student started being bullied in class, and about a year and a half later he moved to another school.

The lawsuit, which seeks damages from the Chiba Municipal Government as the school's operator, was filed in the Chiba District Court. A representative of the Chiba Municipal Board of Education said and investigation would be carried out.

"It's true that the lawsuit has arrived. We want to confirm the contents, and investigate the facts," a board representative said.

(Mainichi Japan) May 10, 2008