Former USA Swimming coach Paul VanLieshout penned an editorial for the USA Today Network-Wisconsin last week in which he decries the plight of homeless residents of Wasau County, Wisconsin.
In the article, posted on Friday, VanLieshout doesn’t mention his prior career as a swim coach or the accusations against him, but does say that on December 30th, he “became homeless for the first time in (his) life.”
“I grew up in this region 35 years ago never seeing a homeless person,” VanLieshout wrote. “Having spent a professional career traveling to the nation’s and the world’s largest cities, I often encountered the homeless, and like many of us, never gave them a second glance.”
VanLieshout once refers to the circumstances that led to his homelessness as “bad luck,” differentiating himself from those with addiction to alcohol or drugs or with what he calls “mental issues.”
And some, like me, have no issues other than bad luck and are struggling to get back into the workforce.
VanLieshout, a former USA Swimming club coach and National Team Coach of the UAE, was banned for life on February 6th, 2013. That came 11 years after issuing a guilty plea to 4th-degree sexual assault in 2002 in Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, involving sexual assault of a minor.
He’s the one with the mental issues., in such denial. Wake up see what you have done to these young people.
There is no bad luck , it’s unbelievable that he thinks he did nothing wrong sexual assual. He’s a sick person who needs help, he should be in prison. I’m glad he’s homeless pay back for his discussing action.
Actions
I really miss the up/down arrows.
I agree!
He is detached from his issues it’s unbelievable. He is not a good person he is a very sick person who needs a lot of help. I’m glad he is suffering no home its pay back time for what he did to other and how they suffer every day because of his disgusting act were.
It is interesting how people cling to the ideal that they are a good person even though they have done something abhorrent. It is also interesting to see how he also ties to separate himself from “them” and maybe worse, maybe a pathology to seem like a leader or spokes person.
I hear the call for compassion, but what I don’t see is him owning his mistakes.
I agree
“We’re good people with great hearts” he says in the article. what a disgusting fu**er
I agree!
Still — compassion is in order.
No I disagree no compassion for a sexual pretidor.
Are you kidding me? Compassion for a sex offender with no remorse. You’re an idiot.