Linda McMahon. WWE Allegations: Did Trump’s Head of Education Linda McMahon Allow Child Sexual Exploitation in WWE? | World news

Linda McMahon, Donald Trump’s nominee for education secretary, faces allegations that she knowingly allowed a World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) employee to sexually exploit children in the 1980s – allegations she denies.
McMahon, a former WWE CEO, founded the company with her husband Vince McMahon. During her tenure, she helped transform WWE from a wrestling entertainment firm into a publicly traded media empire. She resigned in 2009 to pursue a political career, but lost elections for the Connecticut State Senate in 2010 and 2012.
As McMahon, who is also co-chair of Trump’s transition team, seeks confirmation for her new role, a recent lawsuit calls into question her commitment to the welfare of children during her time in WWE.
The lawsuit, filed in October in Baltimore County, Maryland, alleges that McMahon, her husband, WWE, and its parent company TKO Group Holdings allowed employee Melvin Phillips Jr. to use his position as an announcer to sexually exploit children.

Allegations of abuse

The lawsuit alleges that Phillips recruited you.
boys between the ages of 13 and 15 under the guise of “Ring Boys” under the guise of helping set up wrestling rings and perform takedowns at WWE events. However, the lawsuit alleges that this role became an excuse for Phillips to sexually exploit boys even in the presence of wrestlers and executives. He is also accused of filming the violence.
The plaintiffs, five people identified as John Doe, claim they suffered emotional and mental trauma as a result. They are seeking more than $30,000 in damages.
Phillips worked for WWE throughout the 1970s, 80s and 90s as an announcer and crew chief. He was fired in 1988 after repeated allegations, but was rehired six weeks later on the condition that he avoid contact with children. According to the lawsuit, Phillips continued the abuse and WWE executives, including Linda and Vince McMahon, allegedly knew of his actions.
The lawsuit also claims that Vince McMahon admitted that both he and Linda knew about Phillips’ “unnatural interest” in boys back in the 1980s.

Legal Answers

The lawyer representing Linda McMahon called the allegations baseless and vowed to fight the lawsuit. Vince McMahon also denied these allegations. Both faced public scrutiny for how they handled the allegations during their time at the helm of WWE.
Melvin Phillips died in 2012 and no criminal charges were brought against him. However, the Maryland Child Victims Act, which became law in 2023, allowed victims to file civil claims for childhood sexual abuse regardless of when the abuse occurred. This law provided an opportunity for survivors to hold organizations accountable for past misdeeds.

Wider Context

Linda McMahon previously served in Trump’s first cabinet as head of the Small Business Administration before resigning in 2019 to lead a pro-Trump super PAC. She is also the co-founder and board chair of the America First Policy Institute.
Vince McMahon, who left WWE earlier this year amid separate allegations of sexual assault and human trafficking, also faces multiple lawsuits and investigations. He denied all charges. The federal criminal investigation into Vince McMahon is ongoing, although it reportedly does not include Linda McMahon, who left WWE more than a decade ago.