LOUISVILLE, Ky. — An independent investigation into the National Women’s Soccer League last season found abuse and sexual misconduct to be systemic. Former NWSL players came forward with allegations of misconduct and sexual coercion dating back a decade.

The investigation focuses on three former coaches: Paul Riley of the North Carolina Courage, Rory Dames of the Chicago Red Stars and Christy Holly of Racing Louisville FC.


What You Need To Know

  • Former Racing Louisville FC head coach, Christy Holly, is at the center of a sexual abuse and harassment investigation

  • Former Racing Lou Player Savannah McCaskill weighed in on the abuse reported in the investigation, and her former coach’s actions

  • Three former NWSL coaches are implicated in the investigation

  • Racing Louisville FC leadership signed nondisclosure agreements with Holly and other staffers, preventing them from commenting on his time at the club

Holly is at the center of a sexual assault and harassment investigation. It recounts an April 2021 encounter between Holly and a player at the time, Erin Simon.

“It’s hard because you’re hearing these stories first hand and everything she experienced and all the emotion that comes with it,” former Racing Louisville FC player, Savannah McCaskill said. “I mean, I’ll be completely honest. Whenever she told me what happened, I spent the next hour in my car just crying.”

McCaskill was recounting an April 2021 encounter between Holly and Simon. The report alleges Holly told Simon that for every mistake she made during a game film session with him alone, he was going to touch her. Simon said he forced his hands down her pants and up her shirt.

Holly was fired the night of August 31, 2021. The club tweeted that Holly’s contract was terminated “for cause,” but declined to say more. That’s something McCaskill wishes more light had been shed on.

“The way that he was fired for cause, still allows him—I don’t know if he is, I don’t know where he is in the world right now—but it still allows him to be hired by another team,” McCaskill said. “Not a professional team, but he still may be working with youth players. He should never be able to work ever again, like no one should ever hire him. No one should have any sort of respect for the man after what he did.”

Racing Louisville FC defender Erin Simon (3) runs against the Washington Spirit during an NWSL Challenge Cup soccer match, Thursday, April 15, 2021, in Washington. An independent investigation into the scandals that erupted in the National Women's Soccer League last season found emotional abuse and sexual misconduct were systemic in the sport. The investigation recounts an April 2021 encounter between former Louisville coach Christy Holly and Simon, who now plays in Europe. (AP Photo/Will Newton, File)

Holly served as the head coach of Sky Blue in 2016, a short-lived tenure according to the report, but was plagued with complaints of verbal abuse and mistreatment.

McCaskill says similar situations arose during his time in Louisville.

“He would hear some people’s opinions out but then others would immediately dismiss,” McCaskill said. “I had teammates he would consistently go after at training. It was always the same people every single time. Some players brought up these concerns to James and the president at the time and what I heard from the players and then what was told was that Christy was then brought in to try and come about the situation but what came about was those concerns were just dismissed.”

The report mentions that Louisville also declined to provide the investigation with any information regarding Holly’s employment, claiming that mutual non-disclosure agreements were signed with Holly prevents them from providing any information at all about his time with the team.

“We were basically just told not to speak of it,” McCaskill said. “Which now looking back and knowing it was probably to protect Erin [Simon], but at the same time I feel like what he did was so much more than a relationship with a player that makes it sound like it was a mutual relationship. What he did to Erin was far from mutual. [It was] manipulative, sexual assault.”

Club leadership’s silence is something NWSL players and fans both have a problem with.

“People will be standing united at the Lou City game tomorrow. The supporters group has chosen to be silent during the game tomorrow night as a stance of solidarity and to mimic the silence that has been bestowed upon us,” Robin Pryor, president of supporter group Lavender Legion, said.

Moving forward McCaskill hopes changes will be made.

“There needs to be 100% transparency when it comes to hiring coaches. Thorough background checks, references from former players I think is also huge like getting players involved in the process, having their voices heard,” McCaskill said.

Many Racing Louisville FC supporter groups like the Coopers posted statements on Twitter saying “The Lou City vs Detroit City FC match this Wednesday there will be no banners hung, no drumming or chanting during the first half.”