The Supreme Court on Tuesday upheld a lower court decision that ordered the city of Kure, Hiroshima Prefecture, to pay damages to a teachers union that was not allowed to use a school as a site for an educational seminar because of possible harassment from rightwing groups.
The top court's No. 3 petty bench said the city abused its discretionary power in rejecting the union's request because the effects on students from such harassment, if any, would have been limited as the gathering was scheduled for a holiday.
Justice Kunio Hamada, in handing down the decision, said the municipal government focused on issues that should not have been emphasized.
Teachers unions often face harassment by rightwing groups that disapprove of what they consider their left-leaning stance on contentious issues such as history textbooks and the national anthem.
The union asked to use facilities at a junior high school in 1999. The school's principal at first approved the request, but the city board of education turned it down.