Court orders Tokyo Medical University to pay damages over rigged exams

Sep 10 (Japan Today) - A Japanese court on Friday ordered Tokyo Medical University to pay damages totaling around 18.26 million yen to 27 women who claimed the school rigged its entrance exams in favor of male candidates, depriving them of admission.

In the lawsuit filed with the Tokyo District Court, a total of 28 women sought a total of 152.33 million yen in damages against the university, saying the gender-based discrimination in entrance exams that came to light in 2018 was illegal.

The university admitted in 2018 that it had been marking down exam scores since at least 2006 to curb female enrollment and those of men who had failed the exam previously.

The improper action was aimed at preventing a shortage of doctors at affiliated hospitals in the belief that women tend to resign or take long periods of leave after getting married or giving birth.

The university manipulated the exam scores "based on gender, which cannot be changed by people's own efforts or will," Presiding Judge Kyoko Hiraki said in handing down the ruling. "It is not a fair and appropriate way."

If the plaintiffs had been aware that the results would be tampered with, they would not have taken the exam, Hiraki also said. "This violated the freedom of choosing a university and constituted an unlawful act." ...continue reading

Source: 日テレNEWS

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