Education Secretary Nominee Linda McMahon Sued for Child Sexual Abuse, Case Temporarily on Hold
Linda McMahon, Trump’s nominee for Secretary of Education, faces fresh scrutiny as a Maryland lawsuit accuses her and WWE of negligence in a decades-old sexual abuse scandal.
McMahon’s World of Wrestling
Alongside her husband, Vince McMahon, the former businesswoman made a name for herself expanding World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). After graduating from East Carolina University with a degree in French, she worked as a paralegal before venturing into the wrestling industry. The McMahons transformed WWE into a global enterprise but faced criticism for promoting content deemed harmful to children, including violence and sexualization. Despite legal challenges, including a 1993 indictment against Vince McMahon for steroid distribution, they continued to grow the business.
President-elect Trump and McMahon have known each other for decades, with Trump participating in WWE events and McMahon supporting his political campaigns financially. Trump admired her business acumen, noting her success in growing WWE from a small operation into a global enterprise. Additionally, McMahon's involvement in Trump's political world, including significant donations to his campaigns and her role in leading the America First Policy Institute, aligned her with his administration's priorities.
But there’s no cabinet position for Secretary of Wrestling. McMahon's involvement in education has been limited: a brief tenure on Connecticut's State Board of Education and a long-standing role on the board of trustees at Sacred Heart University. However, her business experience and alignment with Trump's education agenda, which included promoting charter schools and reducing the influence of teachers' unions, made her Trump's choice.
But we’re not here to talk about whether or not McMahon would be right for the role or her and Trump’s shared love of wrestling and business. We’re focusing on another thing she and the president-to-be have in common: alleged sexual misconduct.
Child Sex Abuse Allegations
A couple of months ago, a lawsuit was filed in Maryland court, implicating the new nominee in a sexual abuse scandal stemming from alleged incidents that occurred in the 80s and 90s within WWE. The complaint accuses the McMahons and WWE of criminal negligence for failing to prevent the abuse of underage boys by Melvin Phillips Jr., a ringside announcer and ring crew chief. The plaintiffs, five former "ring boys," claim they were sexually abused by Phillips during their time working for the organization.
In the early 1980s, when the McMahons took over WWE and began expanding its reach and influence, Phillips had risen through the ranks to supervise other ring boys after working as a ring boy himself in the 1970s. The lawsuit alleges that Phillips used his position to groom and abuse the boys, who were often recruited from local communities where WWE held shows. The complaint claims that the boys, aged between 13 and 15, were lured with promises of meeting famous wrestlers and given free seats at events. Phillips allegedly exploited this access to gain their trust before sexually abusing them, sometimes videotaping the encounters and giving the boys money afterward.
In 1988, the McMahons reportedly fired Phillips after multiple allegations of abuse surfaced. However, the lawsuit claims that Phillips was rehired six weeks later and that the McMahons took legal actions to protect him, including filing a defamation suit against a New York Post columnist in 1992 who reported on the abuse allegations.
The complaint also references other instances of sexual harassment and misconduct within WWE, including accusations against Vince McMahon himself, who allegedly made hush money payments to suppress allegations of sexual misconduct.
McMahon’s Fitness Further Questioned
Reactions in the wake of the lawsuit were as to be expected. The controversy has raised doubts about Linda McMahon's suitability for the education role, given the department's regulatory role over campus safety.
Student advocacy groups expressed dismay over her nomination, highlighting concerns about her ability to oversee the Department of Education's Office of Civil Rights, which enforces laws protecting students from sex discrimination and harassment. Gaylynn Burroughs, the vice president of education and workplace justice at the National Women's Law Center, expressed apprehension about McMahon's ability to oversee the department's responsibilities in light of her dark past.
But McMahon’s attorney, Laura Brevetti, dismissed the allegations as false, describing the lawsuit as filled with "scurrilous lies, exaggerations and misrepresentations."
A Temporary Pause
Before things could really get underway in court, just a few days ago, a federal judge temporarily halted the lawsuit.
The defendants had requested to pause the case until the Maryland Supreme Court decides on the constitutionality of a 2023 state law. This law removed the statute of limitations for certain civil lawsuits related to child sexual abuse, potentially affecting the outcome of this case. Judge James K. Bredar of the U.S. District Court in Maryland agreed to put the proceedings in his court on pause until that question is resolved by the higher court.
Although the case has been delayed, it has not been dismissed, and the Secretary of Education does not have the same civil immunity as the president. As she goes through the confirmation process, McMahon will now have even more to prove (or disprove) as a nominee with the allegations of sex abuse.
Related Resources:
- Child Abuse Law (FindLaw's Learn About the Law)
- Sexual Assault Overview (FindLaw's Learn About the Law)
- Trump Found Liable for Sexual Abuse and Defamation in Carroll Case (FindLaw's Courtside)
