President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for Secretary of Education, Linda McMahon, is facing scrutiny after being named in a sexual abuse lawsuit. McMahon, the former CEO of World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), and her husband, Vince McMahon, are accused in a lawsuit of allowing a WWE employee to sexually abuse minors over several decades.
The lawsuit, filed on behalf of five unnamed individuals, alleges that the McMahons and WWE’s parent company, TKO Holdings, knowingly permitted longtime ringside announcer Mel Phillips Jr. to exploit his position to abuse children. According to the lawsuit, Phillips lured young boys to work as “ring boys” under the pretense of meeting wrestlers, only to subject them to abuse. The plaintiffs claim the McMahons were aware of the misconduct in the 1980s but failed to intervene. Phillips, who died in 2012, was previously the subject of allegations in the 1990s.
A lawyer for the McMahons denied the allegations, calling them recycled claims from decades-old accusations. “More than 30 years ago, the columnist Phil Mushnick tried to make headlines with these same false claims,” said attorney Jessica Rosenberg. “Those allegations were never proven, and we will vigorously defend Mr. McMahon.”
McMahon’s nomination comes as the Republican Party intensifies its push to reshape public education policy, accusing schools of “indoctrinating” students. Critics have raised concerns about McMahon’s lack of experience in education and her role in the lawsuit, which has cast a shadow over her nomination.
McMahon previously served as head of the Small Business Administration during Trump’s first term. If confirmed, she is expected to support Trump’s agenda of decentralizing federal oversight of education and promoting private school voucher programs.
Educators and advocacy groups have expressed alarm over McMahon’s nomination. Becky Pringle, president of the National Education Association, said, “By selecting Linda McMahon, Donald Trump is showing that he could not care less about our students’ futures. Her only mission is to dismantle the Department of Education and redirect taxpayer dollars from public schools to private institutions.”
