Members of the Lady Colonel softball team armed themselves with posters and a tiki torch and staged a peaceful protest on Hwy. 1 Tuesday night. Cars slowed down and supporters honked at signs that said “Pattie for Coach” and “Do a little dance, make a little glove, get down tonight and bring back our coach.”

The team was protesting the dismissal of Lady Colonel softball coach Pattie Holthaus.

“They got rid of our coach for no reason,” Jill Chabert, Lady Colonel short stop, said.

“Two years ago, her players quit on her. The team we have now is her own team, that she built with her own recruits. She needs one more year to prove herself. They shouldn’t have fired her.”

Chabert said Holthaus informed the team she had been released Monday night, and the team had spoken with the parties involved in Holthaus’ release.

“We were told it (her release) was based on (coach Louise) Do (Bonin)’s and (Athletic director Robert) Bernardi’s decision,” Monica Hebert, right fielder, said.

“We talked to both of them separately, and they said different things.”

Chabert said the team wants to know a valid reason for Holthaus’ dismissal, and hopes their protest will raise awareness.

“We want to show them that you shouldn’t get rid of somebody who hasn’t even had one year of her own team.,” she said.

“We need her. It isn’t fair. Other teams at this University aren’t successful. You shouldn’t get rid of our coach. We need one more year to prove it.”

She said any success the team has in the next season would be due to the team Holthaus assembled.

“If we succeed next year, we’ll give all credit to coach Pattie. This is her team.”

Chabert’s mother, Lynette Chabert, supported her daughter and the team by protesting alongside them.

“As a parent, I feel she should be given another year to show the team she put together can win,” she said. “Someone else will get her credit, and it’s just not fair.”

Bonin said details of Holthaus’ dismissal cannot be discussed because this is a personnel matter. Michael Delaune of University Relations declined to comment.

“There is nothing to be said. We don’t comment on personnel matters,” he said.

The protest began at 6:30, and team members alerted the (Thibodaux) Daily Comet, the Houma Courier, KNSU and The Nicholls Worth about the event. The Daily Comet covered the protest in Wednesday’s paper.

At 6:45, University Police arrived, then left to check on procedures for handling protests.

Cathy Landry of University Police returned with a ruling.

“You do have the right to protest,” she said. “Our only rules are for your safety and for the safety of the citizens.”

Landry asked that the team stay on the shoulder, as close to the grass as possible, so as not to impede traffic.

“You can protest as late as you want, but once it gets dark, we’ll have to come out with a light. Otherwise, we have no problem with your protest,” she said.

Hebert said the protest probably would not last until a light would be needed, but the team would continue crusading for its coach.

“The protest was a bit of a surprise,” Bonin said. “I understand that they’re upset that coach Holthaus will not be back, and I appreciate their concerns.”

Pitcher Duffi Matherne said the team chose a late afternoon setting when only a few people would be around, because the team had spoken to the administration already.

“We’ve talked to everyone on campus already,” she said. “Now we’re just trying to get family, friends and the community involved. The people we talked to listened to us, but I don’t think it had any effect on them.”