Linda McMahon is getting ready to face a confirmation hearing to potentially lead the Education Department, and the stakes are high. As she prepares for this pivotal moment, several people connected to the world of wrestling are expressing serious concerns about her ability to protect children and enforce important laws like Title IX, which ensures students are treated fairly and without discrimination.
The worries stem from allegations made in a lawsuit filed in October, where McMahon and her husband, WWE co-founder Vince McMahon, are accused of ignoring child sexual abuse that took place during her time at WWE. Although McMahon isn’t accused of any wrongdoing herself, her critics believe that her past actions—or lack thereof—raise red flags about her suitability for overseeing the education of over 50 million students across nearly 130,000 schools in the U.S.
Kristina Ishmael, an Education Department official under President Biden, shared her thoughts with NBC News, saying she’s heard from many friends who have their own painful experiences with sexual assault. They feel that McMahon’s potential appointment would be disrespectful to survivors. Another current Education Department employee, who chose to remain anonymous, expressed doubts about McMahon’s qualifications, pointing to her background in wrestling rather than education.
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The lawsuit claims that McMahon and her husband allowed a WWE ring announcer to abuse young boys, known as “ring boys,” for years. One victim’s sister spoke passionately about the situation, saying, “She let a pedophile run through her company. It was her duty to report this.” These accusations have cast a long shadow over McMahon as she seeks this important role.
If confirmed, McMahon would face a unique challenge. She’d be stepping into a position that former President Trump has expressed interest in dismantling, with plans for an executive order to eliminate the Education Department altogether—although that would need approval from Congress.
Some Senate Democrats are shifting their focus to policy questions during her confirmation hearing rather than getting too caught up in the WWE controversies. Senator Bernie Sanders, for instance, has indicated he’ll ask McMahon how she feels about privatizing public education and supporting teacher pay raises.
McMahon comes into this role with minimal experience in education. Her previous stint was a one-year term on the Connecticut Board of Education in 2009, which she left to run for the Senate. She also spent time as the head of the Small Business Administration during Trump’s first term. While McMahon has pointed to her involvement in a WWE program aimed at educating teenagers, critics remain skeptical.
An attorney representing McMahon has dismissed the allegations in the lawsuit as “baseless” and filled with inaccuracies. Similarly, Vince McMahon’s lawyer has called the claims of negligence “untrue and unfounded.” However, the White House has yet to comment on this situation.
The lawsuit, filed in Maryland, includes five men who allege they were sexually abused by a WWE announcer named Melvin Phillips Jr. in the 1980s. The lawsuit claims that Linda McMahon was aware of the abuse and did nothing to intervene. Phillips allegedly used his influence to recruit young boys under the guise of mentorship but ended up exploiting them instead.
One of the former ring boys, who is part of the lawsuit, shared his traumatic experiences. He described how exciting it was to be part of WWE as a kid, but he also revealed that Phillips would take advantage of that excitement and abuse him and other boys. “It definitely was not a safe place for a child to be,” he said, highlighting the fear and danger that lurked behind the scenes.
As the potential head of the Education Department, McMahon would be responsible for overseeing programs that protect children, including Title IX, which is crucial for preventing discrimination in schools. As her confirmation hearing approaches, many are watching closely to see how she’ll handle the tough questions and whether she can win over those who are deeply concerned about her past.
