An off-duty sheriff's deputy has filed a lawsuit against WWE and one of its stars after claiming he was subjected to a “sexualised lap dance” while working security at a televised event in Chicago, Illinois, USA.
Noel Lucas, a Cook County Sheriff’s officer doing private off-duty security work in Illinois, has filed a 14-count claim against World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), its subsidiary Event Services LLC, and wrestler Kenneth Crawford, known to fans as Montez Ford of tag team The Street Profits.
Incident at Monday Night Raw
The incident is alleged to have happened during Monday Night Raw at the Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Illinois, on July 6, during a show broadcast live on Netflix.
According to the lawsuit, obtained by the Daily Mail, Lucas was directed by a WWE employee to take up a position near ringside and was instructed to remain at his post. But as The Street Profits made their entrance, the filing claims Ford approached Lucas “without warning or consent” and performed an explicit routine over him.
“Defendant Crawford then began performing a sexually provocative dance immediately in front of and over Plaintiff [Lucas], repeatedly thrusting and gyrating his hips and pelvis towards Plaintiff, performing a sexualized [sic] ‘lap dance,’” the lawsuit reads. Lucas also reportedly alleges the wrestler moved increasingly closer during the routine, with physical contact escalating.
Fallout and legal claims
He claims Crawford’s left inner thigh was “repeatedly” rubbing against his leg. The deputy says the moment exploded online after airing and being shared in a promotional clip.
Consequently, the fallout has reportedly followed him back into daily life. When Lucas returned to his full-time job at a local courthouse the next day, he says members of the public recognised him from viral clips and mocked him.
“Members of the public recognized [sic] him from the videos of the encounter that had circulated on social media and mocked him, thrusting their hips in his direction, imitating the sexual movements [allegedly performed during the broadcast],” the lawsuit states. Lucas claims the situation also hit his family.
Moreover, he alleged his children were “mocked and ridiculed” at school because of the viral footage, while he has suffered “substantial humiliation, embarrassment, and emotional distress”. The suit reportedly includes claims of assault, battery, intentional infliction of emotional distress, and alleged violations of the Illinois Gender Violence Act.
Seeking damages and court date
It also alleges a breach of the Illinois Right of Publicity Act, arguing WWE and Ford used Lucas’ clearly visible image for commercial promotion without authorisation. Lucas is seeking unspecified damages, punitive damages, legal fees, and a court order stopping WWE from continuing to use his identity.
A case management hearing is set for December 10. Lucas’ attorney Whitney Barr said: “Mr. Lucas was there to do his job, not to be made a part of WWE’s entertainment.
“He had been instructed to remain at his post, and while following those instructions, a WWE performer subjected him to unwanted sexualised physical contact in front of thousands of spectators and a nationwide audience.”
