Concerns have been raised about education and misogyny

‘TASTELESS’:
High school students say they support McDonald’s and that “a world without women’s rights is amazing” after a teenager allegedly suffered violence from the boss

Students who posted “distasteful” posts on social media referencing the alleged sexual assault of a teenage former McDonald’s employee have sparked a debate about education and misogynistic internet culture.

Many high school students, including some from prestigious schools, posted provocative comments online suggesting support for sexual violence against women, prompting some schools to release statements apologizing for their students’ posts.

For example, on the social media platform Threads, one student at Chien Kuo High School in Taipei posted a photo of classmates holding McDonald’s drinks, accompanied by the words: “A world without women’s rights is amazing.”

Photo: George Tsorng, Taipei Times

Other male students, including students from Tainan First Senior High School and National Hsinchu Senior High School, posted photos of McDonald’s purchases along with the comment: “Day 1 of supporting McDonald’s.”

The posts were published in response to the high-profile case of a 17-year-old former McDonald’s employee who allegedly committed suicide last month after being forced to have sex by her supervisor for a year.

The male students’ posts were largely met with disdain, with netizens posting critical comments such as “(You) trample on other people’s wounds thinking you’re funny.”

Modern Women’s Foundation executive secretary Wu Tzu-ying (吳姿瑩) said the “distasteful” posts and the response to them showed that “cases of sexual violence in the workplace need to be handled more carefully.”

“The most difficult aspect of promoting gender equality education is that men don’t talk much about it,” Wu said. “The current implementation of gender equality education needs to be carefully examined.”

Garden of Hope Foundation CEO Wang Yue-hao (王玥好) warned that students using “this kind of sneer” could make companies think they don’t need to pay attention to sexual harassment and sexual assault in the workplace. as long as business remains good.

McDonald’s said Tuesday that it fired a supervisor in May after a girl’s sexual harassment complaint filed in March.

Taipei’s Labor Department on Wednesday ordered McDonald’s to pay a fine of NT$1 million ($30,562) for violating gender equality laws following its handling of the girl’s complaint.

The case has also been handed over to the prosecutor’s office, Taipei police said last week.

If you are having suicidal thoughts, call the 1925, 1995 or 1980 hotline for help.