Linda McMahon, President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for secretary of education, is under scrutiny for her handling of alleged child sex abuse when she was CEO of World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). A decades-old allegation against a WWE employee has recently been revisited in a lawsuit by plaintiffs who claim they were abused while working for the company.
McMahon has become a close political ally to Trump since leaving WWE 15 years ago. She served as the head of the White House Small Business Administration in Trump’s first term and is currently a co-chair of Trump’s 2024 transition team.
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As secretary of education, McMahon would have power over how the federal government enforces rules surrounding sexual harassment and abuse in schools.
In October, five plaintiffs named Linda McMahon and Vince McMahon, her husband and longtime business partner, in a lawsuit. It alleged the McMahons covered up for an employee sexually abusing other, young employees.
In the 1980s, the company hired “ring boys,” teenagers who would build and take down the set for WWE’s traveling performances.
They allege a ring announcer named Mel Phillips would find children like them, hire them and then sexually abuse them at work and during work travel.
According to the complaint, both Vince and Linda McMahon knew Phillips was abusing children. The plaintiffs allege the McMahons fired Phillips when the abuse allegations became public knowledge in 1988.
However, they say the McMahons hired Phillips back six weeks later. Phillips later died in 2012.
Reporting at the time lines up with their complaint. In 1992, New York Post columnist Phil Mushnick wrote an article about Vince McMahon, including a phone interview with the WWE chairman.
Mushnick wrote that “McMahon said he rehired Phillips with the caveat that he steer clear from kids.”
In an article from The Washington Post published Tuesday, Nov. 19, Linda McMahon’s attorney Laura Brevetti said the lawsuit was, “baseless” and noted that Linda and Vince McMahon are currently separated.
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While Trump has said he wants to abolish the Department of Education, McMahon would still run the agency if the Senate votes to confirm her.
The department would stay in operation unless Congress approves its formal shutdown.
Tags: Department of Education, Donald Trump, Education, Education Department, Linda McMahon, U.S. Senate
Jack Aylmer: PRESIDENT-ELECT TRUMP’S PICK OF LINDA MCMAHON FOR SECRETARY OF EDUCATION IS RAISING SCRUTINY OF MCMAHON’S HANDLING OF ALLEGATIONS OF CHILD SEX ABUSE WHEN SHE WORKED AS CEO OF WORLD WRESTLING ENTERTAINMENT.
MCMAHON LEFT WWE 15 YEARS AGO AND HAS SINCE SERVED AS HEAD OF THE WHITE HOUSE SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION AND TRUMP’S 2024 TRANSITION TEAM, BECOMING A CLOSE ALLY OF THE PRESIDENT-ELECT.
Linda McMahon // President Trump’s pick for Secretary of Education: “I’m perhaps one of the few people who’s been privileged to call Donald Trump a colleague and a boss, but he’s also a friend.”
Jack Aylmer: BUT VICTIMS ALLEGING ABUSE AT THE HANDS OF A WWE EMPLOYEE DECADES AGO FILED A LAWSUIT LAST MONTH AGAINST MCMAHON AND HER HUSBAND AND LONG-TIME BUSINESS PARTNER, VINCE MCMAHON.
THEY ALLEGE SHE KNEW ABOUT AND COVERED FOR AN EMPLOYEE SEXUALLY ABUSING KIDS AS AN EMPLOYEE OF HERS.
THAT SUIT MAY BE RELEVANT AS SHE SEEKS SENATE CONFIRMATION FOR A JOB OVERSEEING THE SCHOOLS CHILDREN GO TO EVERY DAY.
FIVE PLAINTIFFS FILED A CIVIL SUIT SAYING THEY WORKED IN THE 1980’S AS “RING BOYS” FOR WWE, ASSISTANTS WHO WOULD BUILD AND BREAK DOWN THE SET FOR WWE’S TRAVELING PERFORMANCES.
THEY ALLEGE THAT A RING ANNOUNCER NAMED MEL PHILLIPS WOULD FIND CHILDREN LIKE THEM, HIRE THEM AS RING BOYS, AND THEN SEXUALLY ABUSE THEM AT WORK AND DURING WORK TRAVEL.
ACCORDING TO THE COMPLAINT, BOTH VINCE AND LINDA MCMAHON KNEW PHILLIPS WAS ABUSING CHILDREN. THE PLAINTIFFS ALLEGE THE MCMAHONS FIRED PHILLIPS WHEN THE ABUSE ALLEGATIONS AGAINST HIM CAME PUBLIC IN 1988. BUT THAT THE MCMAHONS REHIRED PHILLIPS A FEW WEEKS LATER. PHILLIPS DIED IN 2012.
REPORTING AT THE TIME LINES UP WITH THE ALLEGATIONS IN THE COMPLAINT.
IN 1992, NEW YORK POST COLUMNIST PHIL MUSHNICK PUBLISHED A COLUMN INCLUDING A PHONE INTERVIEW HE DID WITH VINCE MCMAHON.
MUSHNICK WROTE THAT “MCMAHON SAID HE REHIRED PHILLIPS WITH THE CAVEAT THAT PHILLIPS STEER CLEAR FROM KIDS.”
IN AN ARTICLE PUBLISHED TUESDAY, LINDA MCMAHON’S ATTORNEY TOLD THE WASHINGTON POST THAT THE LAWSUIT WAS, QUOTE, “BASELESS” AND NOTED THAT LINDA AND VINCE MCMAHON ARE CURRENTLY SEPARATED.
AS SECRETARY OF EDUCATION, MCMAHON WOULD HAVE POWER OVER HOW THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT ENFORCES RULES GOVERNING SEXUAL HARASSMENT AND ABUSE IN SCHOOLS.
AND WHILE PRESIDENT-ELECT TRUMP SAYS HE INTENDS TO ABOLISH THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION, MCMAHON WOULD STILL RUN THE AGENCY.
THE DEPARTMENT WOULD STAY IN OPERATION UNLESS CONGRESS APPROVES A FORMAL SHUTDOWN, WHICH MAY PROVE DIFFICULT TO ACHIEVE.
FOR STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS, I’M JACK AYLMER.
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