GUNMA (TR) – A male Assistant Language Teacher (ALT) working at a municipal middle school in Takasaki City has been arrested and indicted on suspicion of theft for stealing whiskey and other items from a convenience store.
The city’s Board of Education announced on July 17 that a disciplinary punishment of a six-month suspension has been imposed upon the man. The punishment took effect on the same day, reports Jomo News (Jul. 18).
According to the city’s Board of Education, the man stole whiskey and other items from a convenience store in the city on April 29. The Takasaki Police Station arrested him on May 22. He was indicted on the same charge on June 12.
Twelve days later, he was further indicted on suspicion of theft for stealing items from the same convenience store a total of three times. He is said to have stolen items — including beer, chuhai and snacks — worth 1,000 to 2,000 yen at a time.
The man has been working as an ALT at the middle school since October 2021. His term of appointment expired at the end of July, and he was not employed after August.
“It’s all my fault,” the teacher said in apologizing. “I will never do something like this again. I am truly sorry for all the trouble I caused.” Another ALT will take up his post the same month.
Masanori Aoyagi, the director of the city’s Board of Education, apologized. “We are truly sorry for the inconvenience caused to the [convenience store] and to all citizens,” Aoyagi said. “We will once again make every effort to ensure strict service discipline so that something like this never happens again.”
