Falsely charged for what, status quo, more NT?

Work Teaching English in Taiwan
1

This is the first really serious post I have ever made to any group on the internet. I say really serious because most of my previous posts have always been in an spirit of levity, or reasoned and experienced advice.

However, it is now my time to look for advice and suggestions from others. The following events and situation are entirely true and if you as a reader are wanting to misinterpret what I have to say and flame me, I can assure you that you will receive no reply from me.

Over a year ago one of the owners of the buxiban where I had been working for over five years came into the class and called me aside. I was not overly surprised because my classes have always had an open door and anyone was welcome to come in, either to observe or to transact any business they may have.

What she had to say was one of the most devastating things I have ever heard. Her words were pretty much,

2

If you were that worried about clearing your name why didn’t you get a lawyer and sue for criminal slander?

3

I am not a teacher, just a businessman here on the island.
Your story is very touching. I sincerely wish you well.

I would suggest you contact the owner who offered the good reference and ask him to write it now.
I think you would feel better and have a better position if you have this in your possesion now
rather than having to ask for it later.

Just a suggestion.
Again, I wish you well.
There is a lesson in this, one that seems to repeatedly pop-up here on this board.
Good fortune to you.

4

If you intend to come back to Taiwan, you’d better be prepared for war. I heard of your story from a Chinese Teacher in my school before I read this thread. She read it in The Apple.

That cannot be good for you.

If you are not prepared to be vilified by the press, don’t come back.

5

Good suggestion, but I had only five days to pack six years of accumulations and get out. Fortunately my GF and no less than 5 Taiwanese co-teachers were at our apt that night helping me get things packed and ready to ship. I was too trusting I guess.

Where will all this Taiwanese madness against the foreigners end?

Regardless of what happened to me, I hold no ill will against the Taiwanese people. Get a lawyer and sue? Good suggestion, but for what?

Sue for my good name and good reputation? How much should I have sued them for?

6

[quote=“jdsmith”]If you intend to come back to Taiwan, you’d better be prepared for war. I heard of your story from a Chinese Teacher in my school before I read this thread. She read it in The Apple.

That cannot be good for you.

If you are not prepared to be vilified by the press, don’t come back.[/quote]

WTF is the “Apple”? I heard, she read, somebody said, we know!

Villified by the press?

Got balls? Tell me more!

Sorry guys. I said I wouldn’t get involved in flames. But, that I hear, and she said, and bla bla, and you better not come back bla bla and the rest of jbsmith’s silliness has nothing to do with the reality of the situation I went through.

JB has no idea of who I am, nor how I may or may not come back to Taiwan.

Should we all know so much as JB.

OK,

I’ll cool it until I hear a few responses from more intelligent posters:-)

7

I don’t think you should even consider suing for something that happened a year ago.

You should have brought this up when it happened. My feeling is that any evidence of abuse or lack of is long gone. It is nearly impossible to clear your name now. However, by speaking out, it is VERY possible to spread the rumor, and in Taiwan, chances are it will catch like wildfire.

8

Dude, The Apple is a Hong Kong rag of a magazine. All gossip all the time.

I was simply trying to prepare you for what may be waiting for you.

I was trying to be nice to someone who sounded as though he was sincere.

Now I think you’re an ass.

9

The fact is that I have I have in hand a letter from him with the school’s seal. It is written in Chinese and my local Chinese friends have verified the context.

Your suggestion is a great one and I think it is quite valuable to any other teachers facing any type of quandry, God forbid that it be one such as mine.

Many thanks for your input!

10

My reply was to Tainan Cowboy.

Again, many thanks!

11

[quote=“jdsmith”]Dude, The Apple is a Hong Kong rag of a magazine. All gossip all the time.
[/quote]

It’s Taiwan’s leading daily newspaper. Next Magazine is the magazine arm.

12

Well I wish you the best of luck. I am not sure what I would do. If indeed this story has made it to the Apple Daily I am not sure how much good a reference letter will do you. I might look for a teaching job somewhere else or restrict any future teaching to adults. Or maybe it’s time for a career change. Only you know for sure. As I said, best of luck.

Only pointing out the obvious, if this had happened in the U.S. you would have probably spent your US$40,000 on legal fees by now and still be waiting for a trial.

13

It has indeed made it to the Apple, if you are the one who is 38 and from Oklahoma.

appledaily.com.tw/News/index … ID=1527452

14

Thanks Vannyel for your reply. I have lurked in this fourm for many moons and I certainly value your opinion.

As for the spiel about HK and the Apple, I am certain that my situation never reached that realm.

jdsmith was, in my opinion, just propogating a rumor of his own design that gave birth some where in the back of his mind.

Be a assured that any other supposed “facts” about what happened to me are pure poppycock, unless they come from me. I am the only one who knows the “facts”. I seriously doubt that any of the three laobans I had read this forum.

I will kindly add that if any other readers have personal knowledge about what happened to me, may they please feel free to include my name and the school I taught at. If not, may they put their noses when the sun doesn’t shine.

Thanks again Vannyel!

15

Listen, I certainly was not spreading rumors. Please show me where I flamed you. Sorry, I don’t flame.

Are we feeling a bit defensive? I was only telling you what I thought about your situation . And either it was an incredible coincidence (that being your story that YOU decided to share, and a story someone I trust not to gossip told me that she read in a newspaper) and was someone else, not you, or was in fact YOU.

So, answer the question…is the person in the story you? And I did not state any of the “facts” that the Apple printed. Have I mistakenly assumed that the man in the article and yourself were the same person?

If I have, then my sincere apologies.

awaiting your answer…

16

JD,

I am neither 38, nor am I from Oklahoma. I have no knowledge at all about the “Apple” nor any of its contents. Thus, any insuations from anyone that I am a person mentioned there, is a complete fabrication or malicious hearsay.

I acept your apology with the hopes that in the future you will offer more constructive suggestions as did the Tainan Cowboy and Vannyel.

No hard feelings, just get your facts straight before you whip your razor out on me. I’ve had enough of that.

17

Seems like you did more whipping of me than I of you.

If you’re not the guy in the Apple article, than the mistake was clearly one of assumption and was not malicious in the least.

18

Personally, given the structure of the buxiban business in Taiwan, I would consider the following (strictly from the point of view of your interests):

  1. Get a new passport. Totally clean. New number. New name, if you can; but a new passport should help.

  2. Go to a new city (you’ve already said that) and apply for a job, but just say vaguely, “I’ve had several years of ESL teaching experience in Korea/Zimbabwe/the Ukraine” – can’t get letters of reference but obviously you will know from my teaching that I’ve got a lot of experience.

It hurts not to be able to tell about the good work you’ve done before, but I doubt the new owners would put two and two together and figure out who you are to connect accusations to your name without a letter. With a letter – it might be risky. I don’t know.

It just seems that it’s easy enough to get jobs “off the boat” in Taiwan so that you don’t really have to worry about a reference letter that much. Heck, tell them you were backpacking the world for the last 5 years and supported yourself by teaching English?

19

[quote=“Flicka”]It has indeed made it to the Apple, if you are the one who is 38 and from Oklahoma.

appledaily.com.tw/News/index … ID=1527452[/quote]

I believe everything I read in the newspaper too, especially the tabloids…

20

[quote=“Cooked_duck_tongue”]JD,

I am neither 38, nor am I from Oklahoma. I have no knowledge at all about the “Apple” nor any of its contents. Thus, any insuations from anyone that I am a person mentioned there, is a complete fabrication or malicious hearsay.

I acept your apology with the hopes that in the future you will offer more constructive suggestions as did the Tainan Cowboy and Vannyel.

No hard feelings, just get your facts straight before you whip your razor out on me. I’ve had enough of that.[/quote]

Mate, you need to calm down.

First, lots of sympathy and all that. You got a rough deal.

Second, no-one is accusing you of anything. It was merely pointed out that there is a story in a widely-read ‘news’ paper, that is very similar to yours. It was drawn to your attention as an example of how rumour and gossip spread. I think the point was that, because your name is being libelled and there’s not much you can do about it, you may find it hard to get another job. The tone of the post was not accusing, it was trying to be helpful and you owe the guy an apology.

Third, unless you’ve been blacklisted, I would disagree that you have much to worry about. Leave your stuff in storage. Take a trip for a month or two. Maybe change your passport. And then come back and start again. People have short memories, and unless there is any legal barrier you shouldn’t have a problem.

FWIW, someone once falsely accused me of rape. She got a warning from the police for doing it, and was strongly advised to get therapy. There are some really weird fucked up people out there, and occasionally they can really screw your life up. You have my sympathy. But it’s not the end of the world.

It would have been nice if your bosses had been prepared to fight on your behalf, but I’ll keep away from making sweeping (although usually accurate) generalisations about how people deal with difficult situations here and the costs thereof.

Hope it all works out for you. Don’t let the bastards rub you down.