Special Needs Teacher with Autism Sues Chiba Prefectural Government Over Colleagues’ inappropriate treatment

From Chiba Nippo via Yahoo! Japan

November 6 2026

CHIBA – A 38-year-old male teacher at Sodegaura Prefectural Special Needs School in Midori Ward, Chiba, has filed a lawsuit against Chiba Prefecture, seeking ¥5 million in damages. He alleges that inappropriate treatment, including workplace harassment by school administrators over his developmental disabilities, left him suffering from depression and unable to work.

According to the complaint and other documents, the man has worked at the school since 2018. In 2021, he was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), among other conditions. He explained to the school that, because of the characteristics of his disabilities, he had difficulty understanding the meaning of conversations and required certain accommodations.

In October last year, when the man was unable to understand something the principal was saying because of his disabilities, the principal reportedly told him that he was “not properly digesting what was being said.” When the teacher proposed improvements to his work arrangements in consideration of his disabilities, the principal allegedly laughed and asked, “Are you trying to use your disability as an excuse?”