TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A video of a heated exchange between parents at a graduation ceremony in Taichung went viral over the weekend.
The incident took place Friday evening during the Department of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering’s commencement at Feng Chia University. A dispute over one student’s participation delayed the ceremony for more than two hours. After mediation failed, the event was canceled, per UDN.
The conflict involved the parents of a female and a male student. The male student had reportedly been investigated by the university over allegations of inappropriate conduct toward the female student, though details of the case have not been made public, reported UDN.
School officials referred to the matter as a “gender equality” issue. The female student’s parent objected to the male student’s presence, while the male student’s parent refused to leave and publicly defended his son’s reputation and right to attend.
Footage of the argument surprised many viewers online, and criticism has been directed at university officials for not handling the situation more professionally.
Feng Chia University issued an apology to graduates and families affected by the disruption. Some students had family members fly in from abroad for the ceremony.
To make up for the cancellation, the department will organize a separate commencement event in late June.
The university held a school-wide graduation ceremony on Saturday, which drew heightened public attention following Friday’s incident.
