Janel Grant amended her lawsuit against Vince McMahon, John Laurinaitis, and WWE. The suit alleged McMahon both sexually assaulted and sexually trafficked her. At the same time, she was an employee of WWE, and Laurinaitis became a participant while WWE knew what was going on. The amended suit can be read here.
Grant’s legal team has filed a motion requesting the court initiate the discovery phase in her case against McMahon, Laurinaitis, and WWE. The defendants actively oppose the move, arguing that it is premature. They persistently push for the case to be handled through private arbitration rather than a public court proceeding, citing the arbitration clause within the nondisclosure agreement that is the core of the dispute.
Judge Sarah F. Russell now has the decision on whether the discovery process should commence before the court rules on the defendants’ motion to compel arbitration. She will determine the appropriate sequence of events, balancing the plaintiff’s request for discovery with the defendants’ preference for private arbitration.
The following is from Brandon Thurston at POST Wrestling:
“The filings state the plaintiffs’ request for documents “may include any subsidiary and/or current or former executive, employee, contractor, agent, and/or similarly situated personnel of WWE, TKO, and/or Endeavor Group Holdings.” The filing from Grant specifies that she seeking documents related to McMahon’s payments to multiple women. In addition to that, she has requested records of WWE’s policies related to sexual harassment.
Grant’s attorneys indicate they want travel records submitted for McMahon, Laurinaitis, or Brock Lesnar.
Grant alleges in her lawsuit that she was sexually assaulted by McMahon and Laurinaitis, and that she was trafficked. As part of her trafficking claims, she alleges that sexual encounters with her were offered to Lesnar amid his contract renegotiation with WWE.
In response, the defendants argue that starting discovery now could be a waste of time and money if the court later agrees to send the case to arbitration. In an email included as an exhibit in Friday’s court filing, a Paul Weiss attorney representing WWE argues that local rules in Connecticut federal court allow discovery to be delayed until the judge decides whether the case will proceed in court or be sent to arbitration.”
