Former National Taiwan Normal University (NTNU) women's soccer coach Chou Tai-ying (周台英) has been dismissed and barred from teaching at the school for four years over allegations she coerced students into giving blood samples for research projects, the school’s Faculty Evaluation Committee announced today.
The committee in a statement said it has decided to dismiss Chou and would not rehire her within the next four years in accordance with Article 15 of the Teachers’ Act (教師法).
It reached the decision during a meeting on Wednesday after the completion of a three-stage faculty evaluation process.
Photo: Taipei Times
A majority of the committee members voted in favor of the decision by secret ballot, it said.
Chou, 61, is accused of forcing student athletes to participate in research projects that required them to provide blood samples from 2019 to last year.
The committee discussed whether the case involved bullying and a breach of academic ethics.
It reviewed evidence, including sound clips, media interviews with students, and interviews with soccer team members and research participants conducted by various departments of the university, the statement said.
Chou did not obtain the informed consent of the students when they were subjected to blood drawing, the committee said, adding that students signed consent forms that did not fully explain how the blood tests were related to their training.
Chou admitted that the blood drawings were sometimes not conducted by medical professionals, which was clearly illegal, the statement said.
Chou allegedly threatened students with the loss of course credits required for graduation and isolation of individual athletes.
Chou's continuous bullying caused students to suffer mentally, physically and financially in an unfriendly and repressive environment for a long time, the statement said.
The committee found Chou had verbally abused the students exploiting her status as a senior coach, which was inappropriate, it added.
The committee called it a "severe campus bullying case," considering the unequal power dynamics, the number of student victims and the impact on students’ physical and mental health, and their right to education, it said.
The committee said it is necessary to dismiss Chou to ensure students’ wellbeing, a safe campus, appropriate interactions between soccer team coach and members, and mutual trust and harmony among teachers and students.
The case was handled in accordance with the letter sent from the Ministry of Education on Friday last week and the decision made in the committee’s meeting the following day, the statement said.
The university had initially imposed disciplinary measures that barred Chou from receiving pay raises, overtime or taking on executive or part-time teaching roles.
That decision followed a recommendation from NTNU's campus bullying prevention committee that she be suspended for two years.
However, after continued public criticism, NTNU announced on Wednesday last week that Chou had been suspended.
The education ministry revoked her coaching license the following day, fined the university NT$1.1 million (US$33,687) and ordered it to relaunch its faculty review process.
The Chinese Taipei Football Association on Wednesday said it had revoked Chou's coaching license over her involvement in the case.
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