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Japanese Teacher Secretly Sold 62 Cows From School’s Barn, Let Off With A 6-Month Suspension

Japanese teacher sold cows illegally


Teaching is a full time job for most – well, except for this teacher in Japan, who managed to cash in thousands of dollars by secretly selling the school’s cows on the side.


Cashing in on illegal cow selling business


japanese teacher sold cows - farm cows
Image credit: Annie Spratt

The culprit in question is a 48-year-old Japanese male teacher, who was suspended for six months after he was caught secretly selling the cows belonging to his school for over six and a half years. 

japanese teacher sold cows - money
Image credit: Alexander Mils

The teacher sold a total of 62 cows and made a sum of ¥3.8 million (~USD30,257.69). The teacher managed to make such a large sum of money as some of the cows that he sold were bid for at auctions.


How the teacher hid his heinous crimes for years


japanese teacher sold cows - cow visual
Image credit: Austin Santaniello

The teacher was actually part of a group of teachers that were assigned to take care of the cows, and he was specifically in charge of keeping track of the cows that were born in the school’s barn. 

japanese teacher sold cows - calf
Image credit: Emre ÇOBAN

In order to keep up with the costs of feeding the cows, the school originally planned to sell off the male cows right after they were born. However, the majority of the cows’ births were unreported, and these cows were sold directly to traders or livestock farmers by the teacher, who then pocketed the money.


Japanese teacher sold cows from school’s barn 


Being a teacher requires one to have a solid moral compass, as one is responsible for shaping the formative years of their students. Selling cows on the side for extra cash may be an enticing opportunity at the moment, but it’s ultimately not worth it.

Hopefully the teacher has learnt his lesson, but we doubt that the school will be trusting him with the cows ever again.

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Cover image adapted from: Alexander Mils and Annie Spratt