TKO, WWE, Vince McMahon, and Linda McMahon are formally moving to having the ring boy abuse lawsuit dismissed, claiming that they held no responsibility to protect the alleged victims. On Wednesday, June 11, attorneys representing the wrestling company and its former executives filed motions in Maryland federal court seeking to throw out the lawsuit. They argue that the defendants had no legal duty to the alleged victims.
The defendants argue they had no legal “duty of care” to protect the plaintiffs. WWE maintains that the ring crew were not employees, and even if they were, Phillips’ actions were not within the scope of his employment
\”Any alleged sexual abuse by Phillips in Maryland was plainly outside the scope of his employment, which means he was not acting as an agent of WWF (or TKO or WWE) at the time of the events.\
The lawsuit was filed by eight anonymous former WWF ring crew members who allege they were sexually abused in the 1980s by former WWF ring announcer Mel Phillips and, in one instance, by former executive Pat Patterson. Both Phillips and Patterson are deceased and are not named as defendants.
Plaintiffs have until July 28 to respond to the dismissal motions, and the defense may file replies by August 27. A court hearing could follow, where both sides would present arguments directly to the judge.
This case is separate to Janel Grant\’s lawsuit against Vince McMahon, which resulted in his second departure from WWE in January 2024. McMahon has claimed that his relationship with Grant was wholly consensual. Today, Linda serves as the Secretary of Education under Donald Trump, a role that has sparked backlash given her lack of any background in education.
