A federal judge has denied an effort by WWE, its parent company TKO, Vince McMahon and U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon to have the so-called “ring boy” lawsuit thrown out, clearing the way for the case to continue toward discovery.
U.S. District Judge James K. Bredar ruled on Monday that the defendants’ constitutional challenge to the Maryland Child Victims Act did not succeed in getting the lawsuit dismissed. WWE, TKO, Vince McMahon and Linda McMahon had argued that the Maryland law under which the case was brought violates the U.S. Constitution, but Bredar rejected that argument, according to reporting from Fightful and POST Wrestling.
The lawsuit was filed on behalf of seven former ring boys, who allege sexual abuse connected to their time working around WWE. Ringside News reported, citing POST Wrestling, that the ruling means the plaintiffs can keep pushing the case forward, with discovery now able to proceed after this latest setback for the defense.
This marks the latest defeat for WWE and the McMahons in their attempts to have the litigation dismissed before it advances further. By challenging the Maryland Child Victims Act itself on constitutional grounds, the defendants sought a broader legal avenue to end the case entirely rather than contest the underlying allegations individually. Judge Bredar’s decision forecloses that particular path, at least for now, though it does not constitute a ruling on the merits of the abuse allegations themselves.
The Maryland Child Victims Act, the law at the center of the constitutional dispute, has drawn scrutiny in other cases for extending or eliminating statutes of limitations that previously barred older sexual abuse claims from being filed. That framework is what allowed the seven former ring boys to bring their case despite the years that have passed since the alleged conduct, and it is the same framework WWE, TKO and the McMahons unsuccessfully argued should be struck down as unconstitutional.
With the dismissal bid denied, the case now moves closer to the discovery phase, where both sides would exchange evidence ahead of any potential trial. No trial date or further scheduling details were included in the available reporting. WAW will continue to follow developments in the litigation as they are confirmed.
