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The following press release was issued:
Maryland Supreme Court Decision Allows WWE ‘Ring Boys’ Sexual Abuse Case to Move Forward
DiCello Levitt Continues To Seek Justice for Child Sex Abuse Survivors Who Allege the WWE and Vince and Linda McMahon Allowed and Enabled Abuse To Occur
NEW YORK – February 4, 2025 – A decision Monday by the Supreme Court of Maryland that upholds ending the statute of limitations on child sex abuse lawsuits will allow the child sex abuse case against World Wrestling Entertainment, LLC (WWE), Vincent K. McMahon and Linda McMahon (the McMahons), and TKO Group Holdings, Inc. (TKO) to move forward.
“The Maryland Supreme Court’s decision upholding the Maryland Child Victims Act, effectively eliminating any statute of limitations on child sex abuse lawsuits, is the right one, and we hope other states will follow Maryland’s lead,” said DiCello Levitt Partner Greg Gutzler who is leading the lawsuit against the WWE, McMahons, and TKO. “Survivors of sexual assault, especially children, often do not come forward for years or even decades after the abuse occurred. This delayed disclosure happens for numerous reasons—shame, fear, or manipulation—and it has too often prevented survivors from ever seeking justice and getting accountability. It also has allowed perpetrators to continue hurting countless innocent people.”
“My clients’ lives were destroyed by the defendants who allowed and enabled the open, rampant sexual abuse to occur for years. The abuse inflicted on my clients was inexcusable; they were mere children and had the right to expect that WWE executives would take action to protect them from the predators working within the WWE. We will bring light to their truth and fight for accountability and justice,” Gutzler added.
On October 23, 2024, DiCello Levitt and Murphy, Falcon & Murphy filed a lawsuit against the defendants on behalf of five survivors of sexual abuse. The survivors (John Does 1-5) were known within WWE as “Ring Boys,” underaged boys hired by the organization’s ringside announcer and ring crew chief Melvin Phillips Jr. to assist with errands and other tasks for WWE’s wrestling shows.
The underaged Ring Boys were groomed, exploited, and sexually abused by Phillips, who targeted children from broken homes. His sexual assaults occurred not only at the wrestling venues, but also in hotel rooms and other locations where Phillips would shuttle the boys in plain sight. Defendants were aware of the systemic and pervasive abuse but did not prevent or stop it. The FBI previously identified at least 10 Ring Boys abused by Phillips, but there are likely countless others who have suffered in silence for decades.
Since the lawsuit was filed in October, additional survivors have come forward to seek justice and accountability for what happened to them. Monday’s decision allows the case to proceed.
About DiCello Levitt
At DiCello Levitt, we’re dedicated to achieving justice for our clients through class action, environmental, mass tort, securities, financial services, antitrust, business-to-business, public client, whistleblower, personal injury, and civil and human rights litigation. Our lawyers are highly respected for their ability to litigate and win cases—whether by trial, settlement, or otherwise—for people who have suffered harm, global corporations that have sustained significant economic losses, and public clients seeking to protect their citizens’ rights and interests. Every day, we put our reputations—and our capital—on the line for our clients.
DiCello Levitt has achieved top recognition as Plaintiffs Firm of the Year and Trial Innovation Firm of the Year by the National Law Journal, in addition to its top-tier Chambers and Benchmark ratings. For more information about the firm, including recent trial victories and case resolutions, please visit www.dicellolevitt.com.
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