Questions Arise Over Leadership at Biwako Seikei Sports University Amid Power Harassment Claims

The criticism of “non-interventionism” or “doing nothing to avoid conflict.”

Hiromichi Yoshitake, an honorary professor at Tsukuba University and the chairman of the Tokyo Kasei Gakuin school corporation, raises questions about the university’s response.

“If the university has indeed taken disciplinary action, it should publicly disclose the facts and consequences of the harassment case in accordance with standard practices. This is necessary not only for preventing recurrence but also to communicate the institution’s stance and discipline both internally and externally. Universities are public educational institutions, and private universities also receive subsidies from the government, making them non-taxable except for revenue-generating activities. Moreover, for students and parents choosing a school, it is desirable to disclose both positive and negative facts as much as possible.

While we must avoid identifying individuals, including their names, to respect the rights of those who have been disciplined, it is necessary to convey the facts. This may have ultimately contributed to providing information to the prefecture. Universities exist based on the support of their local communities and society. For this reason, I hope they will demonstrate their stance and discipline as public educational institutions.” 

I contacted Mr. X’s home to confirm the fact of his dismissal, but there was no response; the call was simply forwarded to his mobile phone. The former faculty member sighed.

“I feel anger towards the university’s lack of social responsibility as a public educational institution and, more importantly, its lack of consideration for the victims of power harassment. At the very least, the existence of the disciplinary dismissal should have been made clear. This incident might lead to widespread awareness of the university’s tendency to cover things up.”

In today’s world, even private companies are expected to publicly disclose misconduct and respond quickly. Consequently, there is growing scrutiny on the “non-interventionism” of Biwako Seikei Sports University, a public institution.