Vince McMahon is a part of yet another lawsuit. This time, he is in the news for allegedly discriminating and retaliating against a Black female writer for objecting to racist and sexist storylines. The lawsuit claims that Vince McMahon and other executives in the WWE pitched several storylines that would be deemed too offensive, including a certain storyline that would culminate in a Muslim wrestler confessing to being behind the 9/11 attacks.
Despite numerous complaints, Britney Abrahams, the Plaintiff, was continually ignored and eventually fired for taking home a WrestleMania-branded chair.
According to Bloomberg Law, she filed a complaint in the US District Court for the Eastern District of New York on Monday.
Lawsuit filed against Vince McMahon and WWE after writer fired for opposing storyline blaming Muslim wrestler for 9/11 attacks
Britney Abrahams joined the WWE back in 2020. In her lawsuit, she claims that she was tasked to write a storyline between Aaliyah, Mansoor and Angel Garza. She suggested an angle where Mansoor was keeping a secret from Aaliyah.
However, lead writer Callahan instead suggested that the secret be that he was behind the 9/11 attacks, despite the fact that Mansoor was only 6 years old when the terrorist attacks took place.
When the Plaintiff suggested otherwise, Callahan took offense to it and continued to mock her thereafter.
The Lawsuit reads:
“Ms. Sylvers and Plaintiff, the only black writers on the team, at the time, were tasked to pitch a love storyline between wrestlers Aaliyah, Mansoor, and Angel Garza, who are both Muslim).
Ms. Sylvers and Plaintiff pitched that Mansoor has a secret that he’s keeping from Aaliyah.
CALLAHAN disagreed with the secret Ms. Sylvers and Plaintiff wanted for the character.
Instead, CALLAHAN suggested, “how about his secret is he’s behind the 9/11 attacks?”
Ms. Sylvers nervously laughed and said, “let’s not do that. Let’s talk about the other part of the pitch.”
CALLAHAN said, “Oh, I guess you’re the lead writer now.”
She also opposed racist promo for Bianca Belair
The lawsuit also states that the Plaintiff also opposed “offensively racist and stereotypical jargon” written for RAW Women’s Champion Bianca Belair.
“According to the script, DUNN intended Ms. Belair, the said black female WWE wrestler, to say, “Uh-Uh! Don’t make me take off my earrings and beat your ass!” which are lines based upon cruel, ugly stereotypes of dark-skinned, black women.”
The Plaintiff recalled Belair complaining to her about the line, stating that Kevin Dunn added that line every week despite being told she didn’t want to say that line on three separate occasions.
She believes that her objecting offensive storylines and angles eventually led to the WWE putting her in positions where she could be undermined and humiliated.
As mentioned earlier, she was eventually fired for taking home with her a WrestleMania branded chair. She alleged in her lawsuit that this was a common practice among white male wrestlers, and they were never punished for it.
She is seeking reinstatement, damages, declaratory judgment, and an injunction restraining defendants from engaging in such unlawful conduct.
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