A sports coach from National Taiwan Normal University (NTNU) has offered an apology after claims emerged that she pressured students into donating blood for research purposes. Chou Tai-ying, who is 61 years old, stated her intentions were solely to support her sparse team, which often experienced injuries. However, specific details regarding the utilization of the collected blood remain unclear.
The issue gained traction when Taiwanese politician Chen Pei-yu alleged that participants were threatened with loss of academic credits should they refuse to participate. Following these allegations, an investigation was initiated at NTNU, revealing that blood sampling had commenced in 2019 and continued until 2024 across various research projects.
In her apology, Chou acknowledged asking students to assist in blood withdrawals despite their unqualified status, expressing regret for putting undue pressure on the students and the institution. "It is definitely my fault for making you feel the way you did," she communicated through a statement reported by Focus News agency.
Professor Chen Hsueh-chih, who leads one of the ongoing research projects, also extended his apologies, recognizing that while the goal was to aid student athletes, it inadvertently caused distress to the students and their families.
The internal review disclosed that students had been providing blood samples daily; however, many of these samples were discarded afterward due to procedural flaws. Chen Pei-yu originally claimed that players were required to submit three samples a day for a continuous 14-day period over several years.
In response to the unfolding scandal, NTNU’s principal Wu Cheng-chi also issued an apology, categorizing the school’s actions as negligent and promising a thorough review of ethical and oversight protocols.
Taiwan's deputy education minister announced that the situation would undergo further scrutiny by their department, as well as the conduct of both Chou and Professor Chen. Concurrently, the education ministry signaled a potential revocation of the coaching license for an unmentioned NTNU women’s football coach involved in separate misconduct.
