Federal Judge Pauses Child Sexual Abuse Lawsuit Involving Trump’s Education Secretary Pick Linda McMahon

A federal judge has issued a stay in the child sexual abuse lawsuit against WWE co-founders Linda and Vince McMahon, as well as World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), pending a ruling by the Maryland Supreme Court on a key legal matter. The lawsuit, filed in October by five John Does, alleges the McMahons ignored years of sexual abuse of underage “ring boys” by company announcers and executives decades ago. The McMahons and WWE have denied the allegations.

The pause in the case comes as Linda McMahon, a business executive and former head of the Small Business Administration, faces Senate scrutiny over her nomination as education secretary in President-elect Donald Trump’s incoming administration. Critics have raised concerns about her lack of experience in education, and this lawsuit could complicate her confirmation process.

U.S. District Judge James K. Bredar granted the stay as the Maryland Supreme Court considers the constitutionality of the Maryland Child Victims Act of 2023 (CVA). The CVA, enacted through Maryland House Bill 1, could repeal the statute of limitations for certain civil cases involving child sexual abuse, allowing lawsuits like this one to move forward despite the decades that have passed since the alleged incidents. A decision on the CVA’s constitutionality is expected by August 31, 2025.

The lawsuit, described as scathing, accuses WWE leadership of failing to address sexual abuse of underage staff members by high-ranking employees during the 1980s. Linda McMahon’s attorney, Laura Brevetti, has dismissed the claims as baseless, pointing to an earlier FBI investigation that found no grounds to pursue the allegations.

While the plaintiffs have not commented publicly on the stay, the lawsuit has drawn attention from lawmakers. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.) told ABC News that evidence showing Linda McMahon concealed abuse allegations would be a “pretty big concern” during her confirmation hearings.