Two principals and six school staff received punishments after investigators found rule violations while investigating the alleged molestation of dozens of children by an elementary-school baseball coach.
Late last year, parents notified the elementary school and Taichung police about allegations that their children had been touched by the coach of the school baseball team, leading to an investigation uncovering 41 victims.
The Taichung Bureau of Education launched an investigation into whether the school abided by legally required checks via the Ministry of Justice database of people prohibited from working in education.
Photo: CNA
In a statement today, the bureau said that the school failed to conduct the required background checks, allowing the coach to continue teaching.
An investigative team found that from 2019 to July last year, the former principal failed to ensure that his subordinates conducted regular checks on school staff, enabling the coach to continue at the school, the statement said.
As his negligence breached laws and resulted in students being treated inappropriately, the former principal received two major demerits, it said.
The current principal received one demerit for poor management, it added.
As for the school’s academic affairs office, which is responsible for monitoring school staff, investigators found three academic directors and three team leaders all lacked awareness regarding the need to check on non-full-time staff, the statement said.
Although the city government said it had conducted a comprehensive review, loopholes in the system remain, said Taichung City Councilor Chiang Ho-shu (江和樹), who attended the news conference in December when the allegations became public.
What has been revealed so far is just the tip of the iceberg, Chiang added.
He said he hopes the bureau would work to ensure a safe school environment for all students.
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