Tokyo teachers hold rally against 'Kimigayo' dismissals

On July 10, about 100 people participated in a rally held by nine Tokyo public high school teachers who were dismissed because they had failed to stand up and sing "Kimigayo" at graduation ceremonies.

After the Tokyo Metropolitan Board of Education announced the withdrawal of its plan to rehire the nine retired teachers, they filed a lawsuit against the Tokyo Metropolitan Government on June 17 demanding that their dismissal be revoked.

The plaintiffs said that they want many people to know how extraordinary it is to fire them because of their failure to stand up, and criticized the Tokyo Metropolitan Government for interfering in school education.

Lawyer Mizuguchi Yosuke pointed out that the teachers have the status of workers based on labor contracts, and that the instruction issued by the education board last October ordering public school teachers and students to stand up and sing "Kimigayo" is unconstitutional.

Mizuguchi said, "It is clear that the Tokyo government inhumanely restricts students' minds and violates citizens' freedom to criticize. We want to stress this point in court." (end)