JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A circuit courtroom choose in Florida dismissed a lawsuit filed by two girls towards former Jacksonville kicker Brandon McManus and the Jaguars that accused McManus of sexually assaulting them on the group’s abroad journey to London in 2023, in accordance with courtroom paperwork obtained by ESPN.
Choose Michael S. Sharrit granted a movement from McManus’ lawyer Tuesday by ruling that per Florida regulation the 2 girls’s use of pseudonyms — Jane Doe I and Jane Doe II — doesn’t meet “distinctive case” standards required to warrant get together anonymity. Sharrit additionally wrote that “equity requires Plaintiffs be ready to face behind their expenses publicly in the identical means Defendant McManus should brazenly refute them.”
The ruling gave the 2 girls 10 days to file an amended grievance utilizing correct identify identification, which the lawyer for the 2 girls mentioned they’d do.
“Most defendants in sexual assault instances file all these motions considering that the victims will not proceed in the event that they should publicly reveal their names,” Tony Buzbee mentioned in an announcement to ESPN. “We anticipated this ruling. To be clear, these girls haven’t any intention to run and conceal, and can adjust to the courtroom’s order in a well timed vogue. We stay up for persevering with to pursue this vital case.”
Sharrit’s order additionally mentioned the ladies’s reliance on the specter of bodily hurt if revealing their names to be “largely speculative” and there “has been no exhibiting that both Jane Doe I or Jane Doe II face any particular or imminent menace of violence or bodily hurt if required to publicly litigate their claims.”
“We’re very happy with the courtroom’s order in reference to Mr. McManus’ movement to dismiss these baseless allegations,” McManus’ lawyer, Brett Gallaway, mentioned in an announcement Tuesday. “We stay up for him returning to the NFL enjoying area as quickly as doable.”
The Jaguars mentioned they’d not challenge an announcement in response to the choose’s ruling.
The ladies filed a lawsuit Could 28 in Duval County Circuit Civil Court docket accusing McManus of sexually assaulting them on the group’s chartered flight throughout an abroad journey to London in 2023. The lawsuit accused McManus of rubbing himself and grinding towards them and the Jaguars of failing to oversee McManus and to create a protected surroundings for workers serving the group. They had been searching for in extra of $1 million and demanded a jury trial.
In accordance with the lawsuit, the ladies labored as flight attendants on the Jaguars’ Sept. 28, 2023, Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings constitution flight and so they declare the flight “shortly become a celebration” as McManus and several other different gamers disregarded the flight attendants’ private house, air journey security and federal regulation. The lawsuit additionally claimed McManus recruited three different flight attendants to the get together and handed out $100 payments to encourage them to drink and dance inappropriately for him.
Doe I accused McManus of making an attempt to kiss her whereas she was seated throughout some flight turbulence and twice grinding up towards her whereas she was serving the flight’s two meal companies, per the lawsuit. Doe I claimed in the course of the first assault she made eye contact with one other Jaguars participant, whom she mentioned regarded ashamed at McManus’ habits.
Doe II claimed McManus grinded up towards her whereas she was serving the flight’s second meal service. Per the lawsuit, Doe II confronted McManus, who “smirked and walked away.” The lawsuit claimed Doe II remained within the plane’s second story to keep away from McManus on the group’s flight from London to Jacksonville on Oct. 8.
The lawsuit mentioned it was the primary Jaguars constitution flight the 2 girls labored and so they have skilled extreme psychological anguish, nervousness, psychological and emotional misery, embarrassment and humiliation. They’ve been faraway from the core crew that staffs Jaguars constitution flights, which is one thing they labored exhausting to attain, the lawsuit claimed.
The lawsuit claimed the Jaguars dedicated gross negligence by failing to correctly rent McManus, practice him about inappropriate and sexual contact with flight employees, supervise him on the flight, undertake insurance policies and procedures to guard flight employees from sexual misconduct by its workers and implement a zero-tolerance coverage concerning inappropriate habits.
McManus signed with the Jaguars on Could 5, 2023, after he was launched by the Denver Broncos, on a one-year contract value $2 million. McManus made 30 of 37 area objective makes an attempt and all 35 of his further level makes an attempt final season, however the group didn’t re-sign him and he signed with the Washington Commanders on March 14.
