Brandon Thurston of postwrestling.com reported that a federal judge ruled Thursday that seven of the eight former “ring boys” suing WWE, TKO Group Holdings, Vince McMahon, and Linda McMahon may proceed with their lawsuit alleging sexual abuse and negligence.
In a 41-page opinion, Judge James K. Bredar denied the defendants’ motions to dismiss for the majority of the plaintiffs. While the judge emphasized he has not yet made any determination regarding the truth of the allegations, he stated that most of the plaintiffs had “plausibly pled” their cases, allowing the lawsuit to move into the discovery phase.
Key Rulings:
The lawsuit stems from allegations that the plaintiffs were sexually abused by late WWE ring announcer Mel Phillips and other staff while working as minors for the World Wrestling Federation (now WWE) between the 1970s and early 1990s. The plaintiffs accuse the defendants of negligence for failing to protect them.
Judge Bredar’s ruling established the following:
Seven Plaintiffs Proceed: Seven of the eight plaintiffs will continue their claims against WWE, TKO, and Vince McMahon.
Linda McMahon: Two plaintiffs (John Doe 2 and 6) will proceed with claims against Linda McMahon, the former WWE executive and current U.S. Secretary of Education.
TKO Liability: The judge rejected TKO’s request to be dropped from the suit, noting that plaintiffs plausibly alleged TKO assumed WWE’s legal liabilities following their 2023 merger.
Jurisdiction: The court rejected arguments that Maryland was an improper venue. This is a critical victory for the plaintiffs because the Maryland Child Victims Act of 2023 removed the statute of limitations for civil child sex abuse claims, allowing these decades-old allegations to be heard.
One Dismissal:
The claims of “John Doe 7,” which date back to the 1970s, were dismissed against all defendants. Judge Bredar ruled that the plaintiff failed to plead with “adequate specificity” that WWE had reason to know of Phillips’ alleged misconduct at that early date. However, the judge noted that Doe 7 is permitted to refile his claims.
The Allegations and Negligence:
The core of the surviving complaints is the allegation that WWE and the McMahons knew—or should have known—about Phillips’ abuse and failed to stop it. The plaintiffs allege a specific incident in the early 1980s where Phillips was purportedly caught abusing a child and brought before Vince McMahon.
Judge Bredar wrote that if this allegation is true, “at minimum, [WWE] most certainly could have terminated his employment.” Instead, the complaint alleges Phillips was fired in 1988 but rehired weeks later, which the judge said could be viewed as the company “ratifying” his conduct.
Regarding WWE’s argument that Phillips’ alleged abuse occurred in hotels outside the scope of employment, the judge disagreed. He noted that because the company often arranged and funded the hotels, the “work environment” plausibly extended to those locations.
Reactions
In a press release, Greg Gutzler of DiCello Levitt, the firm representing the plaintiffs, called the ruling a “significant step forward,” stating, “Today’s ruling affirms that our clients’ allegations deserve to be heard in court.”
Lawyers for the defendants have consistently denied the allegations. In prior filings, Vince McMahon’s attorneys characterized the complaint as “unfounded opinions, speculation, and multi-level hearsay.” WWE has previously stated that any abuse by Phillips was outside the scope of his employment.
Next Steps:
The case will now move to discovery, a process where both sides can request evidence, documents, and depositions to support their arguments.
Additionally, the parties have been ordered to meet to decide whether the plaintiffs may continue to use “John Doe” pseudonyms in court filings.
Requests for comment sent to representatives for WWE, TKO, Vince McMahon, Linda McMahon, and the Department of Education were not immediately returned.
