Former swim coach Laurel Highlands has waived charges and received a tentative plea deal in a case involving alleged stalking of a child swimmer.
The 43-year-old Highlands, who was a former coach at the YMCA of Laurel Highlands in Pennsylvania and Geibel Catholic High School, received a tentative plea deal of 100 hours of community service and admission to an Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition program, according to the Uniontown Herald-Standard.
Highlands was charged with stalking and harassment after allegedly sending more than 3800 text messages to a boy on the swim team. Highlands also allegedly held the swimmer’s hand, gave him massages and showered him in gifts and handwritten notes.
She has been permanently banned by USA Swimming.
The Herald-Standard adds a few more allegations to Highlands’ case. That story reports that the boy asked a girl to a school dance, but while he was in the pool swimming, the girl received a text message saying “I do not want to go to the dance with you, but my mom is making me.”
According to the Herald-Standard report, the boy said his phone was on the pool deck and Highlands was the only other person there.
Highlands is currently free on a $10,000 unsecured bond.
Is her name Laurel Highlands or did she coach at Laurel Highlands? Or is this just the biggest coincidence ever?
It is her name and former team name as unbelievable as it seems. Swimswam clarified this in an earlier article when charges first came out.
That’s the same thing I’m asking. They just referred to it as the person’s name on channel 11 news.
L – it’s both her name and where she’s from. It’s quite confusing, but…is the reality.