A federal judge has suspended the child sex abuse case against President-elect Donald Trump’s education secretary pick Linda McMahonher husband Vince McMahon and World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE).
The Maryland lawsuit filed in October by the five John Does, who worked as a ringside crew when they were teenagers, alleges that WWE founders Linda and Vince McMahon turned a blind eye to an announcer’s sexual abuse of underage “ring boys.” and company directors. McMahon has denied the claims.
The stay on the case is a major development for the businessman and former head of the Small Business Administration — Linda McMahon’s cabinet’s role is to investigate sexual behavior in educational programs.
Linda McMahon has met with senators, discussing her apparent lack of experience in the schools that will decide whether she will be confirmed for office in Trump’s second administration.
In this July 18, 2024, file photo, former Small Business Administration Administrator Linda McMahon speaks during the final day of the 2024 Republican National Convention at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wis.
Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images, FILE
U.S. District Judge James K. Bredar granted a stay in the case pending the Maryland Supreme Court’s ruling on the Maryland Child Victims Act of 2023 (CVA). The CVA could waive the statute of limitations for certain child sexual abuse civil actions, according to Maryland House Bill 1. This includes sexual abuse and any other sexual conduct that is a crime.
Earlier this week, the defendants, WWE, parent company TKO and McMahon, requested a stay in the case until the Maryland Supreme Court rules on the constitutionality of the CVA. The defendants argued that the motion to stay was central to the alleged abuse forty years ago. The High Court’s decision is expected by August 31, 2025.
The sharp lawsuit came just weeks before Linda McMahon was appointed education secretary. Decades of sexual abuse allegations were brought up by his lawyer, Laura Brevetti. In November, Brevetti told ABC News that the FBI investigated the allegations at the time and found no reason to investigate the claims further, calling the latest lawsuit “baseless.”
The plaintiffs in the case did not immediately respond to ABC News’ requests for comment. However, the allegations could affect McMahon’s confirmation for a cabinet post.
Sen. Kevin Cramer, R.N.D., told ABC News that if there is evidence that Linda McMahon covered up the alleged sexual abuse scandal, it would be “pretty big of a concern.”
