Janel Grant, Vince McMahon, and WWE seek court ruling on private arbitration in trafficking lawsuit

The ongoing legal battle involving former WWE employee Janel Grant, Vince McMahon, and WWE has reached another significant stage, as all parties are waiting in anticipation of a court decision on whether the case will proceed in public court or move to private arbitration. According to reports, Grant, McMahon, and WWE filed a joint motion in the U.S. District Court for the District of Connecticut seeking to delay the June 16 hearing while they discuss moving the dispute to confidential arbitration. This case is centered on a civil lawsuit filed by former WWE employee Janel Grant against Vince McMahon, WWE, and former WWE executive John Laurinaitis. It is to be noted that Grant filed the lawsuit on 25 January, 2024, alleging that McMahon subjected her to sexual assault, coercion, and sex trafficking during her time with WWE between 2019 and 2022. However, McMahon has denied the claims, maintaining that their relationship was consensual.According to recent court filings, Vince McMahon and WWE are continuously pushing the lawsuit to be resolved through private arbitration, citing a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) signed by Janel Grant that contains an arbitration clause. Grant's legal team, however, argues that the agreement is unenforceable and should not prevent her from pursuing the case in federal court.McMahon and WWE argued that a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) signed by Grant contains an arbitration clause, meaning the dispute should be resolved through private arbitration rather than in open court. But Grant's attorneys contend that the NDA was allegedly signed under coercive circumstances and therefore this should not stop her lawsuit from proceeding in federal court.The joint motion was filed ahead of a June 16 hearing on competing motions. The filing states the parties are in active discussions about a potential agreement and are seeking a short adjournment to allow those discussions to progress.The filing suggested, “The parties are in active discussions regarding a potential agreement to arbitrate the dispute in confidential arbitration that would moot those motions. They seek this relief in good faith, to avoid unnecessarily consuming the Court’s and the parties’ resources — and so they can focus on progressing the potential arbitration agreement. The Parties respectfully propose that the Court temporarily adjourn the hearing and allow them to file a Joint Status Report within 21 days.”Meanwhile, Janet's legal team argued that the NDA should not block the case from being heard publicly, claiming she was under severe distress when the agreement was finalized. Grant denied the arbitration and claimed that, “I have no memories of the arbitration clause. I do not remember discussing it with either Vince or my attorney. I do not recall reviewing it. I do not recall either McDevitt or my attorney making revisions to it. I was in an extreme state of distress, sleep deprivation, and fear throughout the entirety of the NDA period, including during the drafting of the arbitration provision. I do not recall agreeing to arbitrate.”Despite this, McMahon's legal team and WWE maintain that the agreement is legally binding and that arbitration is the appropriate venue for resolving the dispute.