Kaohsiung Teacher Hospitalized Due to School Affairs Committee Stress; Education Bureau Takes Over Investigation
An elementary school teacher in Kaohsiung, surnamed Lin, was hospitalized last week due to stress from prolonged investigations by the school affairs committee. The Health Bureau denied forced hospitalization, and the Education Bureau stated it would prioritize protecting the teacher's rights in its investigation.
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- 📰 Published: June 11, 2026 at 11:52
- 🔍 Collected: June 11, 2026 at 12:05 (13 min after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: June 11, 2026 at 12:43 (37 min after Collected)
(CNA reporter Lin Chiao-lien, Kaohsiung, 11th) An elementary school teacher in Kaohsiung, surnamed Lin, was hospitalized last week after suffering physical and mental exhaustion from long-term investigations by the school affairs committee. The teacher had repeatedly posted negative emotions online, leading to a report to the health authorities. The Health Bureau emphasized that the hospitalization was not forced. The Education Bureau has also taken over the investigation of this case to protect the teacher's rights.
The teacher had previously won several awards for promoting reading and creative teaching plans. However, in recent years, she has faced repeated complaints and investigations. She had posted online several times about being tormented by the school affairs committee and had recently repeatedly revealed negative thoughts. Following a report from relevant units, the teacher was escorted to the hospital by a medical team last week, hospitalized, and was discharged on the 9th.
The incident sparked heated discussions online, with some netizens suggesting the teacher was forcibly hospitalized. The Kaohsiung City Health Bureau issued two statements yesterday clarifying that all procedures were carried out with consent and that there was no forced hospitalization as rumored.
Kaohsiung City Education Bureau Director Wu Li-sen also spoke out last night, stating that the Education Bureau's position is to protect the teacher. He said that after receiving reports that the teacher had repeatedly expressed suicidal intentions and had recently sought medical treatment multiple times, the medical team assessed that immediate medical protection was necessary to ensure her personal safety. He added that the medical rescue team's decision to take proactive rescue measures was a difficult one made to protect the teacher.
Furthermore, there were external questions about whether the Health Bureau's first statement yesterday, which publicly disclosed the individual's medical history, constituted a violation of the law. Kuomintang Kaohsiung mayoral candidate Ko Chih-en said last night that the Health Bureau, as the competent authority, should strictly protect the medical privacy of the individual according to the law. However, in this case, it failed to properly protect the individual and instead attempted to use public authority to divert public opinion.
In response, the Health Bureau issued another statement, explaining that its original statement was mainly to explain the necessity of the individual's medical treatment and the process of assisting in that treatment. It emphasized that it did not disclose the individual's diagnosis, medical records, prescriptions, test results, or the name of the medical institution, which are medical details that regulations explicitly prohibit from being disclosed.
The Health Bureau stressed that activating the "Social Safety Net Crisis Intervention Team" was based on the position of protecting the teacher's life safety and preventing tragedy. It stated that actively providing necessary medical assistance is a highly professional decision with urgency that must be made carefully.
The Education Bureau explained that it has discussed a secondment arrangement with the teacher, planning for her to be seconded away from the school on August 1st. The individual is currently on leave. Furthermore, after evaluation, the case involving this teacher is not considered a matter for the school affairs committee. The bureau has requested the school to transfer the case to the Education Bureau for processing, and it will handle the matter in accordance with relevant laws and regulations to protect the teacher's rights.
The Education Bureau emphasized that the school handled this case according to the old school affairs committee system, leading to unnecessary controversy. On the 5th, Kaohsiung City announced a reform plan for the school affairs committee. The plan calls for establishing a mediation mechanism for parents, teachers, and students before convening the school affairs committee to resolve issues such as lengthy proceedings and frivolous complaints. The bureau will subsequently require Kaohsiung City schools to implement the new law to handle related disputes between teachers and students. (Editor: Chen Ching-fang) 1150611
The teacher had previously won several awards for promoting reading and creative teaching plans. However, in recent years, she has faced repeated complaints and investigations. She had posted online several times about being tormented by the school affairs committee and had recently repeatedly revealed negative thoughts. Following a report from relevant units, the teacher was escorted to the hospital by a medical team last week, hospitalized, and was discharged on the 9th.
The incident sparked heated discussions online, with some netizens suggesting the teacher was forcibly hospitalized. The Kaohsiung City Health Bureau issued two statements yesterday clarifying that all procedures were carried out with consent and that there was no forced hospitalization as rumored.
Kaohsiung City Education Bureau Director Wu Li-sen also spoke out last night, stating that the Education Bureau's position is to protect the teacher. He said that after receiving reports that the teacher had repeatedly expressed suicidal intentions and had recently sought medical treatment multiple times, the medical team assessed that immediate medical protection was necessary to ensure her personal safety. He added that the medical rescue team's decision to take proactive rescue measures was a difficult one made to protect the teacher.
Furthermore, there were external questions about whether the Health Bureau's first statement yesterday, which publicly disclosed the individual's medical history, constituted a violation of the law. Kuomintang Kaohsiung mayoral candidate Ko Chih-en said last night that the Health Bureau, as the competent authority, should strictly protect the medical privacy of the individual according to the law. However, in this case, it failed to properly protect the individual and instead attempted to use public authority to divert public opinion.
In response, the Health Bureau issued another statement, explaining that its original statement was mainly to explain the necessity of the individual's medical treatment and the process of assisting in that treatment. It emphasized that it did not disclose the individual's diagnosis, medical records, prescriptions, test results, or the name of the medical institution, which are medical details that regulations explicitly prohibit from being disclosed.
The Health Bureau stressed that activating the "Social Safety Net Crisis Intervention Team" was based on the position of protecting the teacher's life safety and preventing tragedy. It stated that actively providing necessary medical assistance is a highly professional decision with urgency that must be made carefully.
The Education Bureau explained that it has discussed a secondment arrangement with the teacher, planning for her to be seconded away from the school on August 1st. The individual is currently on leave. Furthermore, after evaluation, the case involving this teacher is not considered a matter for the school affairs committee. The bureau has requested the school to transfer the case to the Education Bureau for processing, and it will handle the matter in accordance with relevant laws and regulations to protect the teacher's rights.
The Education Bureau emphasized that the school handled this case according to the old school affairs committee system, leading to unnecessary controversy. On the 5th, Kaohsiung City announced a reform plan for the school affairs committee. The plan calls for establishing a mediation mechanism for parents, teachers, and students before convening the school affairs committee to resolve issues such as lengthy proceedings and frivolous complaints. The bureau will subsequently require Kaohsiung City schools to implement the new law to handle related disputes between teachers and students. (Editor: Chen Ching-fang) 1150611