Premier Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) yesterday removed Atomic Energy Council minister Hsieh Shou-shing (謝曉星) from his post, effective immediately, citing accusations of harassment and abuse of office, which have “impugned the government’s credibility and fostered an unfriendly and sexist working environment.”
Su said Hsieh’s actions contravene the government’s policy to foster gender equality.
Hsieh’s dismissal came after the Chinese-language Mirror Media last year reported that Hsieh allegedly sexually harassed his female subordinates.
Photo: CNA
Su at the time instructed Executive Yuan Secretary-General Lee Meng-yen (李孟諺) to put together a task force to investigate the issue.
Following a three-month investigation, the task force on Monday said its findings have substantiated the magazine’s allegations that Hsieh’s actions contravened articles 7 and 12 of the Act of Gender Equality in Employment (性別工作平等法).
Hsieh has demonstrated bias in the appointment of his secretaries and other government employees, as well as when approving leave requests, the task force said.
He was fixated on qualifiers such as height, age, looks, blood type, zodiac signs, marital status and family wealth that did not relate to an employee’s professional capabilities, it said.
Hsieh has been known to stare at his female subordinates and have bodily contact with them, the task force said, adding that he also talked about their figures, makeup and clothing.
The task force said that such actions are unbecoming of the head of a ministerial-level agency.
Hsieh tendered his resignation upon learning of the task force’s findings, but he had already been dismissed.
The Executive Yuan apologized to those affected on the government’s behalf, and said it would forward the case to the Control Yuan for further investigation.
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