Attorneys for Janel Grant filed a report on Friday asking the court to move her case against Vince McMahon, John Laurinaitis, and WWE to discovery.
The defendants are resisting, saying it’s premature. They continue to argue the case should be sent to private arbitration rather than public court, citing the arbitration clause in the nondisclosure agreement that is central to this case.
Judge Sarah F. Russell will decide whether discovery should begin before a decision is made about the defendants’ efforts to move the case to arbitration.
From Brandon Thurston at POST Wrestling:
The filings state the plaintiffs’ request for documents “may include any subsidiary and/or current or former executive, employee, contractor, agent, and/or similarly situated personnel of WWE, TKO, and/or Endeavor Group Holdings.” The filing from Grant specifies that she seeking documents related to McMahon’s payments to multiple women. In addition to that, she has requested records of WWE’s policies related to sexual harassment.
Grant’s attorneys indicate they want travel records submitted for McMahon, Laurinaitis, or Brock Lesnar.
Grant alleges in her lawsuit that she was sexually assaulted by McMahon and Laurinaitis, and that she was trafficked. As part of her trafficking claims, she alleges that sexual encounters with her were offered to Lesnar amid his contract renegotiation with WWE.
In response, the defendants argue that starting discovery now could be a waste of time and money if the court later agrees to send the case to arbitration. In an email included as an exhibit in Friday’s court filing, a Paul Weiss attorney representing WWE argues that local rules in Connecticut federal court allow discovery to be delayed until the judge decides whether the case will proceed in court or be sent to arbitration.
Kendra Barkoff-Lamy, a spokesperson for Grant, gave the following statement to POST:
“Janel Grant’s courage continues to be an inspiration to so many. Her filing today seeks to move forward with her pursuit of justice and accountability against Vince McMahon, John Laurinaitis, and WWE for the horrific sex trafficking and abuse inflicted upon her.”
On January 31, Janel Grant's team filed a motion to amend her lawsuit against Vince McMahon, John Laurinaitis, and WWE. The motion includes new details in McMahon's alleged treatment of Grant.
A ruling has yet to be made on whether the updated complaint will become the operative complaint for the lawsuit moving forward.
