A new lawsuit seeks to go after Vince McMahon, Linda McMahon, and the WWE for their alleged complicity in the sexual exploitation by a former employee of the company.
DiCello Levitt and Murphy, Falcon & Murphy law firm filed an 82-page complaint in the Circuit Court of Baltimore County Maryland on Wednesday, alleging that high-ranking figures including the McMahons “did nothing to prevent or stop” acts of sexual abuse by former staffer Mel Phillips Jr.
Five unidentified “John Doe” plaintiffs are pursuing a case against WWE, Vince McMahon, Linda McMahon, and TKO Group Holdings, per the filing.
The complaint alleged that Phillips Jr., who died in 2012, used his position as ring crew chief to exploit underaged staff who helped assemble the ring for live events. The lawsuit claims that the defendants listed in the case were “fully aware” of abuses that Ring Boys suffered and decided to not take sufficient action to prevent the incidents from continuing.
A press release issued by the law firm claims that information uncovered in a trafficking case filed by former WWE staffer Janel Grant earlier this year helped uncover “the depth of knowledge that the McMahons and the WWE had about what happened to them.”
“This information, along with recent changes in sex abuse laws, has allowed them to pursue justice in this suit,” the press release said.
Allegations against Phillips Jr. have been reported on for years. Former ring boys Tom Cole and Chris Loss spoke out about their experiences in a 1992 piece for the San Diego Union-Tribe, describing alleged abuses perpetrated by Phillips along with ex-WWE staffer Terry Garvin. Cole passed away in 2021 at the age of 50.
A 1992 episode of the Phil Donahue Show briefly covered the scandal while also addressing WWE’s then-highly controversial steroid controversy. McMahon also appeared on CNN’s Larry King Live to be questioned about the allegations, claiming in the episode that he had “no idea whatsoever” about any sexual misconduct taking place within his promotion.
The scandal has been revisited in recent years. In 2020, David Bixenspan wrote a piece for Business Insider, investigating how Phillips was warned by Linda McMahon to “stop chasing after kids” when re-hired by the promotion in 1988.
