Taiwan Teacher's Affair with Parent Leads to Million-Dollar Fine

A married teacher in Yilan, Taiwan, faces the fallout of an affair with a student's parent, highlighting the legal consequences of infidelity.

In Yilan, Taiwan, a married teacher, 小雪 (Hsiao Hsueh, pseudonym), found herself embroiled in an extramarital affair with 阿德 (A-Te, pseudonym), a parent of one of her students. The relationship led to a court case that has now concluded with a significant financial penalty for the involved party.

The court documents reveal that 小雪, married since 2008 and a mother of twins, engaged in an affair with 阿德, which began in 2019. She allegedly expressed dissatisfaction with her marriage, stating her physical relations with her husband were "like a dead fish." She sent multiple messages to 阿德, pleading for sexual encounters.

The affair came to light when 小雪's daughter discovered the intimate communications on her mother's phone. 小雪's husband subsequently sued 阿德, seeking 2 million TWD in damages.

阿德 denied the allegations, claiming the LINE account used to communicate with 小雪 was not his and asserted that they hadn't been in contact since the child stopped attending school. He claimed he only provided support to 小雪 as a friend, hoping to assist her desire to divorce. However, evidence presented included intimate photos and messages.

The Yilan District Court ruled against 阿德, finding that his actions severely breached the marital obligations and caused damage to 小雪's husband. The court ordered him to pay 1 million TWD in compensation. 阿德 appealed the decision, arguing that the amount was excessive, and the relationship was based on friendship, not an affair. He wanted to reduce the payment to 100,000 TWD.

The High Court, however, upheld the initial ruling. The court found that 小雪 and 阿德 had regular physical relations, that 阿德 received monetary gifts from 小雪, and that the affair caused conflicts with 小雪's husband's parents. The High Court deemed the 1 million TWD compensation appropriate, thus finalizing the case.