Teacher reprimanded for forcing eight girls to cut their hair [JAPAN]

Teacher reprimanded for forcing eight girls to cut their hair

SAGA -- A teacher at a local public high school has come under fire for forcing eight girls to cut their hair as punishment for what he called "bad behavior," school officials admitted Friday.

The school apologized to the students and parents of the victims saying his actions were excessive punitive measures.

"It's clearly wrong to instruct students to cut their hair even though I understand that the teacher didn't force them to do so. We'll make sure that this won't happen again," Principal Kunio Terasaki said.

A second-year girl at Saga Higashi Prefectural High School was caught using a mobile phone during a class on Wednesday, prompting teachers to hold a meeting instructing students not to do so later in the day.

The 37-year-old homeroom teacher of the girl then reprimanded 28 girls in his class over their bad behavior.

"If you really regret what you did, you should show it," he told the girls and ordered those who have long hair to cut it short.

Eight of the girls complied and either cut their own hair or asked friends to cut their hair.

The teacher's wrongdoing came to light after other teachers questioned some victims who were crying in their classrooms or in a hallway.

The following day, the teacher and his bosses offered deep apologies to the girls in his class and the parents of those who were forced to cut their hair. (Mainichi)

Click here for the original Japanese story

April 28, 2006

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