Twenty current and former employees at two Tainan elementary schools have been reprimanded for failing to report the alleged sexual misconduct of a coworker for more than two decades, authorities said last week.
The alleged sexual misconduct by Chang Po-sheng (張博勝), a recipient of an “outstanding teacher award,” began in 2000, but did not come to light until 2019, and last year he was indicted over a sexual harassment case dating back to 2017, according to media reports and Tainan District Court records.
Court records show that 31 students have been identified as alleged victims of Chang.
After conducting an investigation, the Tainan Bureau of Education on Tuesday said that 17 people still employed as educators, including a school principal and homeroom teachers, were aware of Chang’s misconduct, but failed to notify authorities in a timely manner and have been punished.
Chang, 51, was dismissed from his post in May last year and banned from being employed at any educational institution nationwide, the bureau said.
The outstanding teacher recognition Chang received has been revoked and he must return his prize money and certificate, it added.
One school principal received a demerit and has been informed that he would be transferred, the bureau said, adding that three retired teachers have also been asked to return their year-end bonuses and performance review bonuses paid during the years they failed to report Chang’s misconduct.
Chang allegedly committed 32 incidences of sexual assault or harassment, according to the outcome of a Control Yuan investigation.
Chang was also involved in nine cases where he allegedly gave inappropriate physical punishments to 29 students, in addition to other misconduct, the Control Yuan said.
To prevent similar incidents, the bureau said it has teamed up with schools in the city to institutionalize sexual misconduct investigation and disciplinary proceedings, while regulations, including one requiring that students never be left alone in a classroom with a teacher, have also been put in place.
In October last year, the Tainan District Court sentenced Chang to four years and 10 months in prison for misconduct spanning 20 years, which involved kissing female students and touching their private parts.
Chang is appealing the decision to the High Court.
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