The ongoing ring boy lawsuit against WWE, TKO, Vince McMahon, and current U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon was filed by seven men in October 2024. The plaintiffs, who were minors at the time, are using “John Doe” pseudonyms to remain anonymous. They allege that they were sexually abused during the 1980s and 1990s while setting up WWF (now WWE) rings or performing other errands. All seven plaintiffs reported abuse by former ring announcer Mel Phillips, with one also alleging abuse by former WWE executive Pat Patterson and another by former executive Terry Gravin. Additionally, the plaintiffs accused the McMahon family of negligence.

The plaintiffs claim they were abused in several states, including Maryland. In 2023, Maryland passed the Child Victims Act, which eliminated any time limits for filing civil lawsuits related to child abuse. In 2025, the Maryland Supreme Court upheld the law, allowing the case to move forward.

According to Brandon Thurston of POST Wrestling, a federal judge recently rejected the defendants' attempt to have the lawsuit dismissed, arguing that the Maryland law under which the case was filed violates the U.S. Constitution. U.S. District Judge James K. Bredar ruled that the law is constitutional as applied to this case. As a result, the lawsuit is likely to proceed to the discovery phase, and a teleconference to establish future deadlines is scheduled for November 17.

The ruling did not address whether the alleged abuse actually occurred or if the defendants were responsible. POST Wrestling reached out to WWE, TKO, and the McMahon family for comments regarding the ruling, but they did not respond. Moreover, the defendants’ latest challenge was based on arguments related to the U.S. Constitution—issues that the Maryland Supreme Court did not address, but Bredar’s ruling did. Since Bredar is a district-level federal judge, the defendants may ultimately appeal his ruling to a higher court, such as the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals.