Allegations against former Racing Louisville FC coach headline bombshell sexual abuse report

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- A national investigation into widespread sexual abuse at all levels of women's soccer in the United States alleges disturbing incidents of abuse by former Racing Louisville FC coach Christy Holly against a former player.

Former U.S. attorney general Sally Yates, in a 179-page report released Monday, found that U.S. Soccer executives, National Women's Soccer League owners and officials at all levels of the game ignored or otherwise sought to suppress reports of abuse from players for a number of years.

The bombshell report began with a single incident close to home.

"On April 21, 2021," it says, "the head coach of Racing Louisville, Christy Holly, requested that a player, Erin Simon, attend a game film session with him alone. She knew what to expect. When she arrived, she recalls Holly opened his laptop and began the game film. He told her he was going to touch her for 'every pass [she] (expletive) up.' He did. Simon reports that he pushed his hands down her pants and up her shirt. She tried to tightly cross her legs and push him away, laughing to avoid angering him. The video ended, and she left. When her teammate picked her up to drive home, Simon broke down crying."

That incident and others form the framework for a damning picture of women's soccer leadership not only in Louisville but around the U.S., which allowed coaches facing accusations of abuse to move from job to job, while being less than forthcoming about abuse once they discovered it.

Louisville fired Holly on Aug. 31 of last year, announcing he had been terminated for cause but refusing to discuss the circumstances of his dismissal, citing a non-disclosure agreement it had signed with the coach.

In her report, Yates was critical of Louisville and other NWSL franchises for not assisting more in her investigation, writing, "Racing Louisville FC refused to produce documents concerning Christy Holly and would not permit witnesses (or even former employees) to answer questions regarding Holly's tenure, citing non-disclosure agreements."

Racing Louisville has not responded to a request for comment on the report.

Louisville attorney Bo Bolus says the NDA is a valid reason to not speak. But if Simon were to press charges, it's a different case.

"It could be a criminal investigation, a civil lawsuit, but if a judge requires the witnesses to testify, the NDA would not be enforceable."

Holly, the report alleges, also required Simon to come to his home to watch game video, then played pornography instead, masturbating in front of her before she left.

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Simon, a veteran defender for Racing Louisville, was waived from Racing Louisville on June 13 of this year to pursue a playing opportunity overseas. She currently is playing for Leicester City of the Women's Super League.

She agreed to have her name used publicly in the report, saying in a statement through a spokesperson: "There are too many athletes who still suffer in silence because they are scared that no one will help them or hear them. I know because that is how I felt. Through many difficult days, my faith alone sustained me and kept me going. I want to do everything in my power to ensure that no other player must experience what I did. This report allows our voices to finally be heard and is the first step toward achieving the respectful workplace we all deserve. It is my sincere hope that the pain we have all experienced and the change we have all brought about will be for the good of our league and this game we all deeply love."

U.S. Soccer commissioned the investigation by Yates and the law firm King & Spaulding after former NWSL players Sinead Farrelly and Mana Shim came forward with allegations of harassment and sexual coercion dating back a decade involving former coach Paul Riley. Their account was published by The Athletic in September 2021.

Riley, who denied the allegations, was quickly fired as head coach of the North Carolina Courage, and NWSL Commissioner Lisa Baird stepped down.

But it was clear the problems were widespread. Five of the 10 head coaches in the NWSL last season either were fired or stepped down amid allegations of misconduct.

U.S. Soccer President Cindy Parlow Cone called the findings "heartbreaking and deeply troubling."

"The abuse described is inexcusable and has no place on any playing field, in any training facility or workplace," she said in a statement. "As the national governing body for our sport, U.S. Soccer is fully committed to doing everything in its power to ensure that all players — at all levels — have a safe and respectful place to learn, grow and compete."

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