#METOO/Kaohsiung to end contract with screenwriter accused of sexual harassment

Taipei, Sept. 11 (CNA) The Kaohsiung City Government Bureau of Cultural Affairs said Thursday it will terminate its contract with screenwriter Tsai Kuen-lin (蔡坤霖) after he was accused of sexually harassing a female student in a screenwriting course.

The bureau said it has asked Tsai, who was one of the writers of the 2024 horror-comedy movie "Dead Talents Society," to cooperate with an investigation by the Department of Social Welfare and will respect the findings.

It added that Tsai served as both the responsible contractor and chief mentor for the "screenwriter practical connection project," which was awarded under the Government Procurement Act.

Officials said the contract will be canceled to protect the project's credibility and reaffirmed a zero-tolerance policy for sexual harassment, pledging to handle the matter strictly under relevant regulations.

The Department of Social Welfare said the case is under review by the city government's sexual harassment prevention review committee and that confirmed violations would trigger fines of NT$10,000 (US$330) to NT$100,000 for ordinary cases and NT$60,000 to NT$600,000 for power-related offenses under the Sexual Harassment Prevention Act.