Judge Rules Against WWE & the McMahons In Their Bid to Throw Out ‘Ring Boy’ Lawsuit

There is an update on the ongoing ‘Ring Boy’ lawsuit against WWE, TKO, Vince McMahon, and current US Secretary of Education Linda McMahon.

According to Brandon Thurston of POST Wrestling, a federal judge, on Monday, rejected an effort made by the defendants to have the lawsuit dismissed on the argument that a Maryland law the case was brought under violates the US Constitution.

According to the report, US District Judge James K. Bredar ruled that the law is constitutional as applied to the case. As a result, the lawsuit is likely to move toward the discovery phase, and a teleconference to set future deadlines is scheduled for November 17.

The ruling did not address whether the abuse did indeed happen or whether the defendants were responsible for it. POST Wrestling reached out to WWE, TKO, and the McMahons for a response to the ruling. However, they didn’t respond to the inquiry.

The lawsuit, as previously noted, was filed by seven men in October 2024. The plaintiffs, who were minors at the time and are anonymous under “John Doe” pseudonyms, alleged that they were sexually abused during the 1980s and the 90s while setting up WWF rings or performing other errands. While all seven alleged abuse by former ring announcer Mel Phillips, one alleged abuse by former WWE executive Pat Patterson, and another alleged the same against former executive Terry Gravin. The plaintiffs accused the McMahons of negligence.

The plantiffs alleged that they were abused in several states, including Maryland. In 2023, Maryland passed the Child Victims Act. The law eliminated any time limits on filing civil lawsuits related to child abuse. In 2025, the Maryland Supreme Court ruled the law as valid under the state’s constitution, allowing the case to proceed.

However, the defendants’ latest challenge was based on arguments related to the US Constitution, something that the Maryland Supreme Court did not address, but Judge Bredar’s ruling on Monday did. But since Bredar is a district-level federal judge, the defendants may ultimately challenge his ruling at a higher appellate court, i.e., the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals.