Taichung Mayor Lu Shiow-yen (盧秀燕) yesterday apologized for criticizing an elementary-school teacher as being unfit for the job after drawing a backlash from educators.
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Taichung City Councilor Lee Chung (李中) said during a question-and-answer session at the city council on Monday that a sixth-grade student in March allegedly hit a teacher with a tee-ball bat, prompting the teacher to report the incident to the police the day after and two police officers taking the student to the local precinct.
The student’s parents were unhappy that the student was taken to the precinct for questioning, Lee said, adding that his office received the complaint after the parents petitioned the school for an investigation, which said the teacher was not at fault.
Photo: CNA
Lee said it was ridiculous that police officers were able to take a child from school without a warrant, and that it was doubly concerning that no one stopped them from doing so.
The school principal, who was at the council meeting on Monday, said that school staff had not notified him about the incident until the police officers were about to take the student to the precinct.
The principal said the school was not aware that police require a warrant to do so, adding that the school’s handling of the issue was faulty and that the school has held a review on how to prevent similar incidents.
Lu said she was “grieved” to hear about the incident and castigated the teacher, saying the student had already apologized, but the teacher refused to let go of the matter and even called the police.
She said the teacher was “unfit for the job,” adding that the principal failed as a leader.
Lu’s remarks drew the ire of teachers, who inundated her Facebook page with critical comments.
The mayor’s remarks were “chilling” and set a bad example, some wrote, while others said the teacher was not obligated to accept the student’s apology and that children must be taught which actions are acceptable and which are not.
Given the current environment and regulators, educators are often put at a disadvantage, with their actions frequently judged harshly on social media or forced to swallow unjust treatment, such as being hit, criticized, threatened or taken to court over minor issues, the comments said.
Following the backlash, Lu yesterday told a city council session that she owed the teacher an apology and understood that teaching children was challenging and sometimes frustrating.
She said she had been “too quick to comment” and should have spent more time to understand the issue.
However, the incident also highlighted the need for people to be more cognizant of the law to avoid a repeat of parents panicking and teachers confused about what to do, she said.
Lu said she would ask the Taichung Department of Education to establish standard operating procedures regarding such issues, adding that the student would be given counseling due to trauma over the issue.
The Taichung Police Department said the police officers had misinterpreted the law by taking a minor from school without the consent of or being accompanied by a legal guardian.
The two officers have been issued a reprimand and the head of the office has been transferred, it said.
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