A Japanese councilman has apologized for playing smartphone games while in a council meeting, caught in the act by an elementary school student, eventually leading to his resignation from the council board.

73 years old Takahisa Sato from Ogawara, Miyagi, was in a town council meeting on June 10, along with students invited to observe the town council meeting. However, an eagle-eyed sixth grader spotted him playing Disney Tsum Tsum his smartphone.

More students also spotted the councilman minding his mobile game instead of the needs of the town, and included the anecdotes for their field trip report.

The blowback (via TBS News) from this revelation was intense, with some netizens saying his behavior was “shameful” and “selfish” and that he must always think about his responsibilities as a council member.

The other members of the council held a successful vote to force his resignation, and Sato later resigned on July 24, claiming death threats to him and to his family.

“I deeply apologize for my actions that are unbecoming of a council member,” Councilman Sato said. “A threat has occurred to my home that could be considered quite dangerous. It is something that threatens the lives of my family and friends. I can no longer continue as a council member.”

Disney Tsum-Tsum, also called as Line: Disney Tsum-Tsum is a puzzle game for smartphones made by NHN Japan and licensed for Disney. It was released in 2014 and has 100 million downloads worldwide since its launch.