A junior-high principal was fired after he was caught pouring more coffee than he paid for

• A junior-high principal was fired after getting caught trying to steal an extra half-cup of coffee.
• He would pay for a $0.75 cup but pour himself a $1.25 cup at a convenience store, local media reported.

The principal of a junior high school in Japan was dismissed from his job on Tuesday after he was caught dispensing more coffee than he paid for at a convenience store, local media reported.

The 59-year-old male, who wasn't named, said he'd been pouring himself large coffees during his lunch breaks even though he'd paid for the regular-sized option, the local broadcaster Yomiuri TV reported.

He said he realized in June that store staff didn't notice when he dispensed a $1.25 coffee at a self-service machine while paying for a $0.75 cup, the outlet reported, citing the Hyogo prefecture Board of Education.

The principal said he poured himself extra coffee seven times throughout the year until he was caught in December by a store clerk, who called the police in the city of Takasago, Yomiuri TV reported.

The coffee caper has led to the principal's disciplinary dismissal, according to the Board of Education.

The principal apologized to students and their families in a statement through the board, saying his role was to lead by example and encourage discipline.

Local prosecutors decided not to press charges on the principal, the regional outlet Kobe Shimbun reported.

It's not the first time Japan has caught convenience-store customers trying to cheat their way to more coffee.

In January 2021, police in Kumamoto city arrested a 60-year-old man accused of repeatedly pouring $1.35 lattes into a cup for $0.70 coffee, The Japan Times reported.