FUKUOKA, Japan, Oct. 8 (UPI) -- The parents of a Japanese boy whose teacher told him to commit suicide sued the educator Wednesday for 13 million yen ($118,000) in damages.
The lawsuit says the unidentified youngster has refused to go to school since his teacher told him to jump from a condominium and die.
The Mainichi Daily News said the 9-year-old student at a Fukuoka elementary school is reportedly suffering post-traumatic stress disorders, such as headaches and nausea, as a result of the teacher's verbal abuse and physical punishment.
The lawsuit alleges that in May this year, the 46-year-old teacher pulled the child's ears in a corporal punishment he called the "Mickey Mouse." Knowing the boy has an American ancestor, the teacher also told a class the boy's blood was not pure because it was "mixed."
The legal action said the teacher told the child: "Hurry up and die. Jump off a condo."
City officials have acknowledged the teacher's actions and told the newspaper they have suspended him for six months.
