Maryland Supreme Court upholds Child Victims Act

A major ruling by the Maryland Supreme Court will have a significant effect on the ring boy lawsuit filed last year.

On Monday, the court ruled that the Child Victims Act of 2023 is constitutional and upheld the act following a 4-3 vote.

The act eliminated all time limits for people to file lawsuits regarding child sexual abuse and faced challenges necessitating a ruling.

Last year, a civil suit was filed in Baltimore County by five anonymous ex-ring boys at the WWE against Vince & Linda McMahon and the WWE for failing to halt the sexual exploitation of the ring boys. In the suit, the plaintiffs allege they were groomed and sexually abused by former WWF ring announcer Mel Phillips. 

Plaintiffs’ lawyer Greg Gutzler issued a statement to POST Wrestling’s Brandon Thurston on Tuesday:

The Maryland Supreme Court’s decision upholding the Maryland Child Victims Act, effectively eliminating any statute of limitations on child sex abuse lawsuits, is the right one, and we hope other states will follow Maryland’s lead,” said DiCello Levitt Partner Greg Gutzler who is leading the lawsuit against the WWE, McMahons, and TKO. “Survivors of sexual assault, especially children, often do not come forward for years or even decades after the abuse occurred. This delayed disclosure happens for numerous reasons—shame, fear, or manipulation—and it has too often prevented survivors from ever seeking justice and getting accountability. It also has allowed perpetrators to continue hurting countless innocent people.”

“My clients’ lives were destroyed by the defendants who allowed and enabled the open, rampant sexual abuse to occur for years. The abuse inflicted on my clients was inexcusable; they were mere children and had the right to expect that WWE executives would take action to protect them from the predators working within the WWE. We will bring light to their truth and fight for accountability and justice.

In December, a pause was placed on the suit until a ruling was made regarding the Child Victims Act because if it was deemed unconstitutional, the suit could not proceed.

 

About John Pollock 6001 Articles
Born on a Friday, John Pollock is a reporter, editor & podcaster at POST Wrestling. He runs and owns POST Wrestling alongside Wai Ting.