University penalized, prosecutions mulled for coerced blood sampling

Taipei, July 16 (CNA) The Ministry of Education (MOE) said Wednesday it has fined National Taiwan Normal University (NTNU) NT$1.1 million (US$33,687) and two research project leaders NT$500,000 each for alleged coerced blood sampling of female soccer players at the school.

The MOE also said that an investigation task force will be formed in conjunction with the National Science and Technology Council (NSTC), since the case involves "major violation of human research ethics" during an NSTC-funded project.

Meanwhile, the Taipei District Prosecutors Office said the same day that it has launched a criminal inquiry, listing the soccer team coach, surnamed Chou (周), as a suspect; and will be investigating if her actions constitute criminal coercion.

In response to the case, NTSC head Wu Cheng-wen (吳誠文) said he "strongly condemns" NTNU's acts and its "dismissive" attitude during the NSTC investigation, adding that the council will release its report in two months, and funding for the school could be cancelled as as result.

The case was first brought to public attention last November by Democratic Progressive Party lawmaker Chen Pei-yu (陳培瑜), who revealed that over several years, NTNU female soccer team players were required by their coach to participate in an NSTC project involving three blood draws per day for 14 consecutive days, "on threat of withholding course credits needed to graduate."

Chen also said that in the early stages of the study, blood samples were drawn by non-medically qualified personnel, which violates the Human Subjects Research Act and the Medical Care Act, according to Lai Hsin-heng (賴信亨), head of the Taiwan Association of Medical Technologists.

Furthermore, Lai said improper techniques and practices by unqualified personnel pose potentially life-threatening risks to athletes, such as infections, torn muscles and ruptured blood vessels.

In a statement released Wednesday night, NTNU President Wu Cheng-chih (吳正己) speaking on behalf of the university expressed his deepest apologies to the affected students, their parents, and all members of the public concerned with education and human rights.

NTNU acknowledged that members of the female soccer team were subjected to long-term blood sampling for research without proper informed consent.

The students were also subjected to "verbal threats and psychological pressure within an unequal power dynamic between teacher and student," the school said.

Following investigations by the university's Research Ethics Committee and the Campus Bullying Prevention Committee, "the teacher involved was found to have violated ethical standards and committed bullying."

The statement described the incident as a failure in the university's management and oversight. NTNU pledged to conduct a comprehensive review of its coaching recruitment and evaluation system, training and curriculum design for athletic teams, and mechanisms for ethical review and supervision of academic research, while taking full responsibility for the matter.

NTNU said its faculty review committee would immediately reexamine the case and complete disciplinary action within two weeks. In addition, the teacher involved has been temporarily suspended to avoid any contacts with the involved students.

The Taipei school, one of the leading universities in Taiwan, has been criticized for not dismissing the soccer team coach but instead only disciplining her with no salary raises, no overtime, no part-time teaching, no overseas research or further studies with pay, and a ban on working as an executive, supervisor or faculty evaluation committee member.

The MOE said NTNU has been ordered to halt new human-body related research proposals since July 1, and is required to report to the ministry within three months on the improvements made.