TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — An associate professor at National Cheng Kung University's Taiwanese Literature Department has been involved in campus gender equality incidents since 2007, Control Yuan member Chi Hui-jong (紀惠容) revealed Saturday.
The investigation found that as early as 2007, students had reported the associate professor, surnamed Chien (簡), for a campus gender equality incident to department faculty members. However, the faculty members failed to report or address the issue as required by the Gender Equity Education Act, leading to further incidents that harmed multiple students, per CNA.
Chi noted that there were five victims, all students at the time of the harassment. Initial investigations confirmed sexual harassment and professional ethics violations in each case.
The university's Gender Equity Education Committee re-evaluated the situation and decided that Chien did not meet the criteria for dismissal.
On June 9, 2023, the university received a report accusing Chien of verbal and physical harassment toward students. After an investigation by the Gender Equity Education Committee, a report confirmed the sexual harassment.
The eighth gender equality meeting of the 2023 academic year determined that the faculty members violated their reporting obligations and failed to provide proper guidance.
Chi argued that the faculty members failed to recognize inappropriate boundaries in faculty-student interactions and did not fulfill their reporting responsibilities. The university also failed to investigate and take immediate action, leading to further harm.
The Control Yuan passed a correction proposal on Jan. 16, urging the Ministry of Education to continue overseeing NCKU’s handling of related issues. Following the investigation, the university’s Faculty Evaluation Committee decided to suspend Chien for three years in accordance with the Teacher’s Act.
The MOE has instructed NCKU to clarify the facts and consider whether the severity of the case warrants dismissal, or a permanent or one-to-four-year ban on future employment.