5 key questions about Racing Louisville FC following the bombshell NWSL investigation

Racing Louisville FC's former coach Christy Holly is a central figure in the bombshell investigation by Sally Q. Yates and King & Spalding LLP that found evidence of systemic failures by the National Women's Soccer League and several teams in their handling of verbal and physical abuse allegations.

Among them, Holly is accused of sexually assaulting and verbally abusing former Racing Louisville player Erin Simon, she told the investigators who released the damning report Monday.

Several questions remain unanswered in the aftermath of the report's release. Here's a quick look at what we know and don't know.

Why did Racing Louisville FC sign an NDA with Christy Holly?

Racing Louisville officials have not said, although a former captain and Mark Lynn, who owns the naming rights to Racing Louisville and Louisville City FC's Lynn Family Stadium, have shed some light in recent days.

According to Lynn and ex-Racing Louisville goalkeeper Michelle Betos, the team signed the non-disclosure agreement to "protect" Simon. Betos has since questioned those motives and the team's efforts to keep teammates quiet on Holly's firing, telling The Courier Journal on Tuesday: "I still don't know if that's real."

From Thursday:Louisville soccer fans demand 'accountability' from ownership for Christy Holly allegations

According to the Yates report, Holly and Racing Louisville signed an NDA when he was fired in August 2021. Citing the NDA, Racing Louisville executives refused to produce many documents to investigators, according to the report — releasing just 41 — that concerned Holly and limited access to witnesses, including former players, and what questions they could answer.

When the team made management and staff available for interviews, according to the report, its counsel barred witnesses from discussing details of the former coach's employment.

The report also said Racing Louisville officials told investigators their "hands were tied," but never attempted to modify the NDA with Holly to allow for cooperation with the investigation.

More coverage:Why did Racing Louisville FC fire Christy Holly? What we know

What have Racing Louisville FC and Soccer Holdings said in response?

It took until Wednesday afternoon for Racing Louisville FC to release a statement, more than 48 hours after the report was made public. In a release signed by club president James O'Connor, the team said it is "not the same club" as it was in August 2021 and that it now "owes it" to players and the community to prove that statement is true.

"The U.S. Soccer-released Sally Yates report which was published earlier this week served as a harsh reminder that appointing Christy Holly as Racing Louisville FC’s first coach was a mistake. We have learned from that mistake, and we apologize to Erin Simon, to our players past and present and to our fans," the release said. "We commend Erin for her bravery in coming forward as part of U.S. Soccer’s investigation. And while our former coach was terminated within 24 hours of us being alerted to the behavior, we know that wasn’t enough and that we failed our locker room by creating a space where this behavior could occur."

The release also said the club has implemented a "club-wide anonymous reporting" service and has also begun re-evaluating the hiring process for staff since Holly's firing.

The statement came shortly after the Portland Thorns FC, an NWSL club which was also included in the report, announced its presidents had been relieved of their duties.

Has anyone been fired in Louisville?

Other than Holly's departure last year, no one else at Racing Louisville FC has been fired as of Thursday morning. The club's statement Wednesday did not say if anyone has or will be disciplined or fired, despite calls by its many fans and protests at Wednesday's Louisville City FC game for O'Connor to be dismissed.

However, nationally, Portland Thorns president of soccer Gavin Wilkinson and president of business Mike Golub have been fired, according to an announcement Wednesday. The Yates report said it had produced evidence that the team covered for former coach Paul Riley following complaints of sexual and verbal abuse.

Former players speak out:'They need to clean house': Former Racing captain responds to Christy Holly investigation

What has been the response from fans and players?

Several former players have condemned the actions of the former coach, and a vocal faction of fans called for further action at Wednesday's Louisville City FC game.

Betos said the club needs to "clean house," as the former coach's actions "created a culture where there was no space or good reason to complain about issues."

A number of fans have also criticized the club for its slow response to the investigation. The Coopers, usually one of Louisville City FC's loudest support groups, were silent during the first half of the team's Wednesday night game and at one point brought out a banner that said "Arrest Holly."

In a statement Monday night, the supporters' group said the news had "sickened us to the core," with the organization apologizing to players and said team leadership "failed you."

"This is not the kind of foundation that Louisville soccer was built upon. Nor is it the culture that was established since 2014/2015," the statement said. "It has shown us that we, as supporters, being a big part of that foundation, have given up too much trust. We have lost too much respect and have not been as vigilant as we once were."

Fan reaction:LouCity supporters to protest in wake of allegations against ex-Racing coach Christy Holly

The Lavender Legion, following in step with The Coopers, hammered the club for its lackluster response to the allegations of sexual assault from Holly.

"This is not enough. At all. Hardly even a start," the group's tweet said.

Did Christy Holly hold a license to coach in the NWSL?

Christy Holly began as a part-time volunteer reserve team coach in 2013. According to the investigation, the barriers to Holly's ascension were low. Three years after he started, he was named head coach of the Sky Blue, now known as the NJ/NY Gotham FC.

Holly had never held the license required to be a head coach in the NWSL — not in 2016 or in 2021 — according to the investigation.

Contact Caleb Stultz at cstultz@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @Caleb_Stultz.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Racing Louisville FC: 5 questions on Christy Holly, NWSL investigation