Federal Judge Grants Stay In 'Ring Boy' Lawsuit Against Vince & Linda McMahon, WWE
A child sexual assault abuse lawsuit filed against Vince and Linda McMahon has been stayed by a federal judge, according to ABC News. In October, the suit was filed in Maryland by five anonymous plaintiffs, represented by William Hughes Jr. of Murphy Falcon and Murphy, who alleged that during their time working for WWE as ring boys, the McMahons had ignored years of sexual abuse by fellow members of the company.
On December 2, WWE filed a motion to dismiss the complaint on the grounds of State court jurisdictions and the demand in damages exceeding the $75,000 limit as such, with Linda McMahon's legal team supporting the motion. And on December 4, United States District Judge James K. Bredar ruled in favor of a stay in the case pending a ruling by the Supreme Court of Maryland regarding the Maryland Child Victims Act of 2023 (CVA). The CVA could repeal the statute of limitations in specific civil cases related to child sexual abuse, and the defendants made it clear they would seek to argue the constitutionality of its use in a case involving alleged sexual abuse from over 40 years ago.
This has been the latest lawsuit involving allegations of sexual abuse from a former employee of Vince McMahon's at WWE, following Janel Grant's allegation of sex trafficking in January. That case was also stayed in May pending a DOJ investigation into allegations made against the former Executive Chairman, though that is soon to expire with expressed hopes that Grant will see her day in court. Linda McMahon was named in the suit just weeks before being nominated by President-elect Donald Trump for Education Secretary, and though her attorney Laura Brevetti dismissed the allegations while speaking to ABC News in November, citing an FBI investigation at the time yielding no results, Senator Kevin Cramer said that it could impact her confirmation for the cabinet position.
If you or anyone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, help is available. Visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website or contact RAINN's National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).