WWE sexual abuse case involving Trump's education secretary will continue
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President Trump speaks with Secretary of Education Linda McMahon on July 31 in Washington, D.C. Photo: Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images.
A lawsuit alleging Education Secretary Linda McMahon and her husband, WWE co-founder Vincent McMahon, knew about and chose not to stop sexual abuse against eight underage "ring boys" will proceed, a Maryland judge ruled Wednesday.
Why it matters: The case is one among several sexual misconduct allegations surrounding high-ranking members of President Trump's administration.
- The McMahons insist they are innocent and had filed motions to dismiss the case.
What they're saying: "Mostly, the Motions will not be granted," District Court Judge James Bredar said in a 48-page ruling.
- "That's because the Plaintiffs have plausibly pled that the adults around them including Vincent and Linda McMahon—had relevant knowledge at relevant times, and that they could and should have taken action to prevent the abuse and the harm that ensued."
- Not all of the survivors' claims will have enough evidence to hold up in court, but "for now, though, the plaintiffs' pleadings" warrant continuing the case
Catch up quick: The plaintiffs, "ring boys" referred to as John Does 1-8, allegedly suffered sexual abuse at the hands of WWE ringside announcer Mel Phillips and others while running errands and performing related tasks primarily in the 1980s.
- Phillips died in 2021.
- The abuse was allegedly well-known throughout the WWE corporation, with one former high-level employee claiming it was "just generally known, by everybody" that the McMahons "clearly knew what was going on, but really did nothing to stop it."
- Vincent McMahon resigned in 2024 after sexual misconduct claims continued to pile up, and was once accused of cultivating a "rampant culture of sexual abuse" at the company.
The intrigue: Courts typically find that employees that commit sexual assault are operating "outside the scope of employment" and therefore determine that employers are not responsible for their conduct.
- However, the survivors have provided "specific facts concerning WWE's knowledge of Phillips abusing" them, which could make the McMahons' liable.
The other side: Vince McMahons' attorney Jessica Rosenberg previously told Axios that the claims of abuse rely on "absurd, defamatory and utterly meritless statements."
- She added that her firm will "vigorously defend Mr. McMahon and are confident the court will find that these claims are untrue and unfounded."
- Rosenberg did not immediately respond to Axios' Thursday afternoon request for comment, nor did the Education Department.
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