Ibaraki University Dismisses Professor Over Homophobic and Racist Remarks in Class

Ibaraki National University in Japan has announced the dismissal of a 50-year-old associate professor from the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences who systematically made discriminatory remarks against racial and sexual minorities during his classes. According to a statement by the university administration , the decision took effect on July 31, 2026, but was publicly disclosed on September 1.

According to the investigation, the professor made inappropriate comments for over three years, from April 2019 to July 2022. Following student complaints, the university administration repeatedly issued warnings and three times handed down formal business orders for him to cease his discriminatory rhetoric during lectures. Despite this, the associate professor stated that he had no intention of changing his teaching content and that the students’ discomfort was irrelevant to him. Due to his refusal to comply, the university removed him from teaching duties in the fall of 2022 and has now opted for full disciplinary dismissal.

University President Yasuhiro Sagawa apologized to the affected students, emphasizing that such actions demonstrate a lack of awareness and responsibility expected of a university educator and are entirely unacceptable in an educational institution. The university chose not to publish the specific quotes from the dismissed employee, citing the need to avoid the secondary victimization of students.