TOKYO - The Tokyo District Court has dismissed a lawsuit filed by a former vice president of Nihon University who sought damages over alleged power harassment by board chairperson Mariko Hayashi in the wake of a drug scandal involving the university’s American football team. The court ruled on May 9th that Hayashi’s conduct did not constitute power harassment.
Yasuhiro Sawada, the former vice president, had sued for 10 million yen in compensation, claiming that he was unfairly blamed for failing to report the drug-related incident to Hayashi and subsequently pressured into resigning. The incident came to light in 2023, a year after Hayashi took office with a pledge to reform the university.
Initially, Hayashi publicly denied any illegal drugs had been found, but later acknowledged the arrest of a student. Sawada was criticized for not escalating suspicions about marijuana residue found on campus. He maintained that the substance was difficult to identify at first glance and did not consider it serious enough to report directly to Hayashi.
Following a press conference and internal deliberations, Sawada was barred from attending meetings and ultimately forced to step down, prompting him to file suit. According to the complaint, he claimed the university leadership manipulated the narrative to make it appear that all responsibility rested on him.
The court, however, concluded that Hayashi's actions did not amount to harassment under legal standards.
Speaking after the ruling, Sawada criticized the decision as "unjust" and claimed it ignored institutional rules. "This sets a dangerous precedent where disliked individuals can be freely removed," he said, indicating plans to appeal.
Source: TBS
