LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Midday through Wednesday afternoon, Louisville soccer players and fans got the apology they were waiting for, after more than 48 hours of silence from Racing Louisville FC's front office.
James O’Connor, president at Soccer Holdings, LLC -- which owns both Racing Louisville and Louisville City FC -- issued an expression of regret for the club's hiring of former coach Christy Holly and promising a safer environment for the players.
But the players and supporting groups themselves will tell you the damage has already been done.
"It's incredibly disappointing and heartbreaking," said Braeden Downey, a member of The Lavender Legion -- official supporters club of Racing Louisville FC.
They're already looking toward next steps: Consequences for anyone who knew this was a problem and reform to make sure this doesn't ever slip under the radar again, both in the NWSL and other sports leagues across the country.
"We want to see [these leagues] as safe places where people can play the game they love without fear of sexual, verbal or any other type of harassment," said Andrew Bumps, also a member of The Lavender Legion.
Groups like The Lavender Legion and The Louisville Coopers, also independent supporters of Louisville City, showed up to Lynn Family Stadium to protest Wednesday night during LouCity's match against Detroit City.
While demonstrations aren't geared toward the men's team, with the women's season over, supporters felt this was the best time to make their voices heard. Some planned to gather outside the stadium, purposely to avoid putting any money toward ownership. If others went inside, they didn't plan to purchase anything from vendors.
Fans were asked to wear teal for sexual assault awareness and to remain silent with no chants or banners during the first half to show support for Racing players.
"A lot of anger, a lot of pain -- the community itself is hurting," The Louisville Coopers President Herman Quinn Jr. said before the game.
Wednesday, WHAS11 honed in on talking to supporters who are men, asking why it's vital they take a stance too.
"I think the biggest enemy to getting change in situations like these is male apathy and not showing up to support," said Michael Shaw, a fellow member of The Lavender Legion. "But really, this is a human problem and as a human being, you should do the decent thing regardless of gender and be here to support people who were wronged."
Men like Shaw, and former two-time The Louisville Coopers President Ken Luther, said it's plain and simple.
"Just reading the hundreds of pages of the report, it's systemic not just in NWSL but in women's soccer across the board. If men don't step up and support alongside women, what does that make us? Dishonorable," Luther said.
The sidewalk messages written in chalk just outside Lynn Family Stadium's entrance were powerful. Some read "Arrest Holly" while others said "JOC out," referencing the initials of James O'Connor.
Also written were the letters "NDA," standing for non-disclosure agreement, with a line crossed through them.
The path forward isn't yet clear, but many in the Louisville community have made it obvious where they stand and the kind of change they want implemented immediately.
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