Former NTU Hospital Doctor Chen Siyuan Dismissed for Sexual Harassment

(Central News Agency, Taipei, 6th, reporter Lin Changshun) Chen Siyuan, a former professor at National Taiwan University, was found to have verbally and physically sexually harassed multiple resident doctors during his tenure as the director of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at NTU Hospital. Following an impeachment by the Control Yuan, the case was tried by the Disciplinary Court. The court recently ruled to dismiss Chen from his post and bar him from public service for three years. The verdict can be appealed.

The Control Yuan stated that Chen, while serving as the director of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at NTU Hospital, used his official authority and opportunities to exceed the boundaries of professional relationships. He sexually harassed several resident doctors under his supervision and command, creating a hostile, coercive, and offensive work environment. The NTU Hospital's Sexual Harassment Prevention and Complaint Committee had already ruled that the harassment was established.

The Control Yuan indicated that Chen's actions constituted sexual harassment through the abuse of power, infringing upon the victims' personal dignity and severely damaging the reputation and image of the institution. This violated Articles 6 and 7 of the Public Servants Service Act. Due to the severity of the case, the Control Yuan approved the impeachment proposal after investigation and referred the entire case to the Disciplinary Court.

In his defense, Chen argued that his actions, such as handshakes and compliments, were out of politeness and lacked subjective intent to harass. He stated that although he was saddened by the incident, he continued to treat people with goodwill and persisted in his research and medical practice in his professional field. He expressed reflection on the matter, whether it was suspected harassment or actual harassment, and stated that such behavior would not recur.

The Disciplinary Court found that Chen's words and actions were improper and exceeded appropriate boundaries. They created a hostile or offensive work environment for the victims, infringed upon and interfered with their personal dignity, and affected their work performance. The court deemed that this significantly damaged the image of public servants and severely harmed the reputation of NTU Hospital. Concluding that the degree of duty violation was serious, the court sentenced Chen to dismissal and a three-year ban from public service. The verdict can be appealed. (Editor: Zhang Mingkun) 1150606