A federal judge has granted Janel Grant permission to amend her lawsuit against Vince McMahon, former WWE executive John Laurinaitis, and World Wrestling Entertainment, despite opposition from the defendants.
Grant’s legal team initially submitted a motion on January 31 requesting to modify the original complaint to include additional allegations regarding McMahon’s alleged misconduct. Attorneys representing McMahon pushed back against the proposed changes, arguing the amendments were untimely and made in bad faith.
However, Judge Sarah F. Russell ruled in Grant’s favor, stating that while some of the new information could have been included in the original filing, it does not hinder the defendants’ ability to argue that the case belongs in arbitration. In her written decision, Russell stated, “It is certainly clear that some of Grant’s proposed amendments include facts she knew or should have known when she filed the Complaint. But her newly pleaded facts do not deprive Defendants of their ability to timely assert that her claims are subject to arbitration. I accordingly decline to find her amendments are in bad faith.”
Following the ruling, Grant’s legal team issued a statement expressing gratitude and emphasizing the significance of the amended filing.
“We’re grateful that Judge Sarah Russell let the facts prevail today and granted our motion to amend Janel Grant’s complaint against Vince McMahon and WWE,” the statement read. “The amended complaint is essential to understanding the extent of McMahon’s abuse and trafficking of Ms. Grant and the degree to which WWE failed her. We look forward to moving forward with Ms. Grant’s amended complaint and taking another step toward bringing the truth to light and ensuring Ms. Grant’s allegations against McMahon and WWE are taken seriously.”
While the amended complaint was allowed, Judge Russell also granted motions from the defendants to pause the discovery process for now. However, if the defense re-files its motions to compel arbitration by the June 13 deadline, Grant will be permitted to seek discovery specifically related to the arbitration issue.
Earlier in April, Grant had opposed the defense’s efforts to block discovery. Her legal team has maintained that McMahon, Laurinaitis, and WWE have not demonstrated sufficient grounds to delay or prevent the discovery phase. Meanwhile, the defense continues to push for the matter to be resolved through private arbitration rather than in open court.
(H/T: Brandon Thurston and POST Wrestling)
