A Joint Status Report has been submitted to the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland (Baltimore) regarding the lawsuit filed against TKO Group Holdings, WWE, Vince McMahon, and Linda McMahon. The lawsuit, brought by five former ring boys who worked for the then-World Wrestling Federation (WWF) as minors during the 1980s and 1990s, alleges that the company and the McMahons failed to protect them from abuse by the late Mel Phillips, a former ring announcer and ring crew supervisor.
The report notes that the Supreme Court of Maryland recently upheld the state’s Child Victims Act, which took effect in 2023. This law removes the statute of limitations for civil lawsuits filed by individuals who claim they were sexually abused as children. As a result, all parties are now awaiting the court’s decision on lifting the current stay on the case.
Once the lawsuit is reactivated, the defendants will have 45 days to formally respond or file motions to dismiss. The plaintiffs will then have 21 days to reply. In the event of an amended complaint, the defendants will have 14 days to respond to the revised filing.
This case continues to unfold as legal proceedings progress under the framework of Maryland’s expanded legal protections for survivors of childhood abuse.
(H/T: BaltimoreSun.com & PWInsider.com)
