LOUISVILLE, Ky. — A new report from the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) and the league’s Player Association revealed Racing Louisville FC's failures in protecting players as allegations of abuse came out about former coach Christy Holly.
The joint investigative report states Holly engaged in sexual misconduct, particularly with former Racing defender Erin Simon. It supports former U.S. Attorney General Sally Yates' independent investigation into the NWSL and United States Soccer.
On Thursday, Racing Louisville FC said the club is "sorry for what happened during Holly's tenure."
"We take responsibility for what happened, and we pledge to ensure a better team culture moving forward," Racing Louisville FC officials said in a statement. "Our athletes should never have been put in this situation."
The club said it takes responsibility for not having a more stringent vetting process, which led to Holly's hiring, and is something officials say they have since corrected.
"When Racing Louisville learned of Holly's sexual misconduct toward Erin Simon, the club acted quickly, firing him within hours of speaking to Simon," the joint report detailed.
Officials said they cooperated with the NSWL and NWSLPA's investigation providing interviews and documents when requested, saying it was "vital that the public and community stakeholders know the full truth of what happened."
"Racing Louisville FC -- and everyone involved in women's soccer -- must do better to protect and support these world-class athletes," the club said.
The report also provided new details regarding the non-disclosure agreement between the club and Holly. That agreement paid Holly $14,000 in severance and required a $5,000 payment if either of them broke that agreement.
While the club has claimed that the agreement was brought to mainly protect Simon, the report claims the non-disclosure agreement "was far more limiting on the club than what was necessary to protect her confidentiality."
Racing Louisville says that NDA was never meant to hinder any investigation or stop any player from speaking out.
The club said "on advice of the club's former counsel," they entered the agreement to protect players from being named publicly as the events were unfolding.
"Although the motives were born out of what we perceived to be in the best interests of the players and in the interest of expediting the dismissal of Holly," the club said. "We recognize in hindsight that was the wrong decision."
The report also found Racing Louisville failed to protect players from retaliation during a June 2021 team meeting.
A group of players had informed current club president James O'Connor of Holly's abuse and asked to keep it confidential. However days later, "the club's HR personnel emailed staff and players who raised concerns to schedule a meeting for them to discuss the issues collectively," the report said.
"Club leadership tried to clear the air between players and the coaching staff by calling this meeting, but in retrospect, this should have been handled differently," Racing Louisville said. "For that, we apologize and have learned from the situation."
The clubs says it has made clear to its new coaching staff that retaliation will not be tolerated and officials expect each player to be treated with respect.
Players can also now anonymously report issues they are having through the new RealResponse system.
In the aftermath of Holly's tenure, Racing Louisville says it has "cleaned house" and made several changes to its coaching staff and the organization's policy. The club said it will continue to make changes to help ensure the well-being of players and staff.
"We will continue to listen, learn and act to ensure the best possible environment for players," the club said.
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