Chou Tai-ying, a coach at Taiwan's National Taiwan Normal University, has publicly apologized for allegedly coercing student-athletes into donating blood for unclear research projects, following an internal investigation prompted by claims of academic pressure.**
Taiwanese University Coach Apologizes for Coercing Students into Blood Donations**
Taiwanese University Coach Apologizes for Coercing Students into Blood Donations**
Allegations surface over a sports coach pressuring students at National Taiwan Normal University for blood samples, igniting an investigation and widespread condemnation.**
A sports coach at National Taiwan Normal University (NTNU) in Taipei has issued a public apology after reports surfaced that she pressured students into participating in blood donation for research projects. Chou Tai-ying, 61, expressed regret over her actions, confessing that her intent was to aid her under-resourced team facing frequent injuries. However, the exact purpose of the blood donations remains unclear.
The case came to light via Taiwanese politician Chen Pei-yu, who claimed that students were warned they would jeopardize their academic credits if they opted out of donating. Following these allegations, an internal investigation revealed that the blood sampling initiative commenced in 2019 and continued until 2024 as part of various unspecified research projects.
In her statement, Coach Chou admitted to pressuring students, saying, "It is definitely my fault for making you feel the way you did." Alongside Chou, Professor Chen Hsueh-chih, who led one of the research projects, also issued an apology, acknowledging that their intentions to support student-athletes inadvertently caused harm.
The investigation found that students were submitting blood samples daily, with many samples reportedly discarded due to improper collection methods. Chen Pei-yu had initially alleged that student-athletes were required to submit three samples daily over a period of two weeks, effectively pressuring them over several years.
In response, NTNU principal Wu Cheng-chi extended an apology for the school's oversight, affirming that the institution's ethical and oversight protocols would be reassessed. Taiwan's deputy education minister expressed that the matter would be critically reviewed at the department level, particularly concerning the actions of Chou and her associate, Chen.
Additionally, the education ministry has indicated intentions to potentially revoke the coaching license of one unnamed women's football coach from NTNU amid the ongoing fallout from the case.
