In June 2023, WWE established a policy on sexual or romantic relationships in the workplace after the allegations of sexual conduct against Vince McMahon first became public.
John Pollock and Brandon Thurston of POST Wrestling and Wrestlenomics obtained the policy and shared it.
The policy states the following:
“An employee shall not exercise responsibility (instructional, evaluative, or supervisory) for any affiliated individual with whom the employee has or had a consensual relationship.”
Additionally, it notes that the company discourages consensual relationships involving Board members or executives.
“WWE strongly discourages consensual relationships involving any WWE Board Member, or executive team member, such as the CEO, President, CFO, Chief Content Officer, Chief Legal Officer, or Chief Human Resources Officer.”
Thurston and Pollock note that current and former WWE employees could not recall a specific policy regarding consensual relationships involving personnel that came before this one.
It was also stated that WWE’s policy includes a “Consensual Relationship Acknowledgement” form. Pollock and Thurston interviewed Dr. Lisa Mainiero, Professor of Management at Fairfield University, a published author on the subject, who pointed out that WWE does not address hierarchical relationships.
However, Mainiero was pleased that WWE included “affiliated relationships”, which notes that relationships between an employee and an independent contractor “must abide by the Consensual Relationship policy.”
Pollock and Thurston note that the policy does not specify consequences for executives, but it states, “Violation of this policy may result in disciplinary action up to and including termination.”
Janel Grant’s Lawsuit Against Vince McMahon And WWE
The timing of the policy’s establishment itself is noteworthy. In January 2024, Janel Grant filed a lawsuit against Vince McMahon and WWE in which she alleged that McMahon engaged in sexual assault and sex trafficking of her. McMahon has denied these allegations. In the suit, Grant also alleges that WWE and senior officials were aware of, and fostered, a culture that tolerated the harassment and sexual exploitation of women.
Because there did not seem to have been a policy in place when Grant worked for WWE, it is unclear whether an executive who knew about the relationship had a contractual duty to get involved.
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