Sexual assault swimsuit vs. ex-Jag McManus dismissed

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A circuit court docket decide 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 crew’s abroad journey to London in 2023, in keeping with court docket 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 fees publicly in the identical method Defendant McManus should brazenly refute them.”

The ruling provides the 2 girls 10 days to file an amended criticism utilizing correct identify identification, which the lawyer for the 2 girls says they are going to do.

“Most defendants in sexual assault circumstances file all these motions pondering that the victims will not proceed in the event that they need to 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 court docket’s order in a well timed vogue. We stay up for persevering with to pursue this necessary case.”

Sharrit’s order additionally mentioned that the 2 girls’s reliance on the specter of bodily hurt if revealing their names to be “largely speculative” and there “has been no displaying that both Jane Doe I or Jane Doe II face any particular or imminent risk of violence or bodily hurt If required to publicly litigate their claims.”

“We’re very happy with the court docket’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 subject as quickly as attainable.”

The Jaguars mentioned they won’t difficulty an announcement in response to the decide’s ruling.

The 2 girls filed a lawsuit Might 28 in Duval County Circuit Civil Courtroom accusing McManus of sexually assaulting them on the crew’s chartered flight through the crew’s 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 failing to create a secure atmosphere for employees serving the crew. They had been searching for in extra of $1 million and demanded a jury trial.

In response to the lawsuit, the 2 girls labored as flight attendants on the Jaguars’ Sept. 28, 2023, Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings constitution flight they usually declare the flight “shortly was a celebration” as McManus and a number of other different gamers disregarded the flight attendants’ private area, air journey security, and federal regulation. The lawsuit additionally claims that 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 accuses McManus of attempting to kiss her whereas she was seated throughout a session of turbulence and twice grinding up towards her whereas she was serving the flight’s two meal companies, per the lawsuit. Doe I claims through the first assault she made eye contact with one other Jaguars participant, whom she mentioned seemed ashamed at McManus’ conduct.

Doe II claims that 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 claims Doe II remained within the plane’s second story to keep away from McManus on the crew’s flight from London to Jacksonville on Oct. 8.

The lawsuit says that was the primary Jaguars constitution flight the 2 girls labored they usually have skilled extreme psychological anguish, anxiousness, 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 laborious to realize, the lawsuit claims.

The lawsuit claims the Jaguars dedicated gross negligence by failing to correctly rent McManus, prepare 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 imposing a zero-tolerance coverage relating to inappropriate conduct.

McManus signed with the Jaguars on Might 5, 2023, after he was launched by the Denver Broncos, giving him a one-year contract value $2 million. McManus made 30 of 37 field-goal makes an attempt and all 35 of his further level makes an attempt final season, however the crew didn’t re-sign him and he signed with the Washington Commanders on March 14.