The Tokyo High Court on Wednesday rejected an appeal by three former school teachers who claimed it was unreasonable they were banned from working part time after retirement because they had in the past refused to stand and sing the national anthem.

The Tokyo District Court also rejected their appeal in April 2016.

The three teachers, who wanted to be known only by their family names — Watanabe, Nagai and Kobayashi — applied to be rehired as part-time teachers in 2010 after they retired.