A security guard who worked the July 6 episode of WWE Raw has filed a lawsuit against WWE and Montez Ford, alleging Ford performed a sexualized “lap dance” on him during The Street Profits’ entrance.
As first reported by Brandon Thurston of POST Wrestling, the suit was filed Wednesday, October 14, in the Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois. The plaintiff, Noel Lucas, names WWE, Kenneth Crawford (Montez Ford’s real name) and Event Services, LLC as defendants.
What Happened On Raw
The incident took place on the July 6 episode of Raw, which aired live on Netflix from the Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Illinois. The Street Profits came out that night as World Tag Team Champions and went on to lose the titles to The Vision’s Austin Theory and Bron Breakker after Maxxine Dupri turned on the team.
According to the complaint, Lucas was working security at ringside. He says a WWE employee told him to stand in that spot during the show.
The lawsuit claims that during the entrance, Ford began “performing a sexually provocative dance immediately in front of and over Plaintiff, repeatedly thrusting and gyrating his hips and pelvis towards Plaintiff, performing a sexualized ‘lap dance.'” It also says Ford “moved his body increasingly closer” and “continued the lap dance,” and that his “left inner thigh repeatedly rubbed against Plaintiff’s leg.”
The version of the episode currently on Netflix cuts to a break early in the entrance.
Who Is Suing
Lucas is a Cook County Sheriff’s officer with a full-time job at a courthouse. He also supervises security guards for Monterrey Security, which is how he came to be working the Raw event.
The complaint says that the day after the show, members of the public at his courthouse job “mocked him, thrusting their hips in his direction, imitating the sexual movements.” It also says his children were “mocked and ridiculed” at school. Lucas says he “suffered humiliation, embarrassment, and emotional distress.”
“Like so many law enforcement officers, Mr. Lucas works a second job in order to better provide for his children,” his attorney, Whitney Barr, said.
Lucas is represented by Whitney Barr and Alexis Martin of Caffarelli & Martin Ltd.
What The Lawsuit Claims
The suit lists 14 counts, including assault, battery and intentional infliction of emotional distress. It also brings claims under the Illinois Gender Violence Act and the Illinois Right of Publicity Act, the latter over the use of his likeness in the broadcast.
Lucas is seeking unspecified damages, punitive damages and legal costs, along with an order barring WWE from using his identity.
These are allegations made in a civil complaint, and none of the claims have been tested in court. WWE did not immediately respond to POST Wrestling’s request for comment. A case management hearing is scheduled for December 10.
