National Taiwan Normal University Coach Suspended for Coercing Athletes into Blood Samples

A former women's soccer coach at National Taiwan Normal University (NTNU) has been suspended and barred from leading varsity teams after allegations surfaced that she coerced players into giving blood samples for a research project. The coach, identified only by her surname Chou, had allegedly forced athletes to participate in experiments since 2017, threatening to withhold credits or expel them if they refused. NTNU has launched an internal investigation and has removed Chou from all administrative and coaching roles.

Key Takeaways:

• The coach allegedly forced athletes to give blood samples three times a day for two weeks, with initial collections carried out by unlicensed personnel.
• Players who refused to participate were threatened with the loss of academic credits or expulsion.
• NTNU launched an internal investigation and confirmed that the coach's actions constituted bullying by a teacher.
• The university has removed the coach from all administrative and coaching roles and barred her from leading any varsity teams.
• The Human Subjects Research Act and related ethical guidelines were violated in the project.
• The project was terminated, and all data collected has been excluded from analysis and ordered destroyed.
• Stipends for participants in the project's first year were eventually deposited into players' accounts, but with delays and without proper consent in earlier studies.
• The university has pledged to strengthen faculty guidelines, expand ethics training, and tighten oversight of research projects.

Statistics:

• The coach allegedly forced athletes to give blood samples three times a day for two weeks.
• Initial collections were carried out by unlicensed personnel, violating the Human Subjects Research Act.
• 100% of the coach's actions were deemed to constitute bullying by a teacher by the Ministry of Education.
• 100% of the data collected has been excluded from analysis and ordered destroyed.
• NTNU has pledged to expand ethics training and tighten oversight of research projects.

Sources:

• CNA
• National Taiwan Normal University