Matt Dionne | Assistant News Editor
Featured image: Paul James took a leave of absence from his position in 2009, only to find himself without a job when he returned from rehab. | Courtesy of York Lions
Three-time Canadian Soccer Hall of Fame inductee, media commentator and former York soccer coach Paul James recently announced he would be going on an indefinite hunger strike to protest the stigmatization of drug addicts in Canada.
James, 53, who played for Canada at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics and the 1986 FIFA World Cup, published an open letter to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau via YouTube on January 25.
He claims to be refraining from ingesting any food or fluid, besides water, in protest to perceived discrimination he has faced since disclosing his struggle with depression and substance abuse in 2008.
“It’s a dramatic decision that I’ve made, but I watched you [Trudeau] in 2015 and believed in your platform speeches where you said to all Canadians to trust and have faith in the Canadian judicial system,” he said.
Despite applying to over 100 jobs, James hasn’t worked in eight years and is currently “penniless [and] homeless with no social status.”
James was hired as York’s soccer coach in 2003 and led the Lions in their victorious 2008 national championship campaign—the first time they had achieved the feat since 1977.
Upon leaving in 2009, James stated that he attempted to address the problem privately with York under great distress and pressure, in need of support and help for poor mental health.
A York spokesperson confirmed that at the time James resigned, there were networks in place for employees needing support that remain in place today.
“York has policies and procedures to support employees who require accommodation in the workplace, including an Employee Well Being Office,” they said.
Following his leave of absence, James went to rehab to deal with his drug addiction but upon being released, he discovered York had moved onto another coach and he found himself without a job.
Three years later, James filed a human rights violation, which was dismissed due to him failing to file it within the one-year time limit. He later filed an appeal that was rejected.
“We need people to come forward, but how can they if there’s so much fear?” asked James.
In addition to his hunger strike, he has also launched a website, Confronting the Stigma of Drug Addiction, that he intends to use to raise awareness of the stigmatization that sufferers of substance abuse face on a day-to-day basis.
James, who started his hunger strike nearly three weeks ago, is committed to continue until the government takes notice and provides him and others like him with the support and help they need without fear of persecution.
