Sexual Assault Lawsuit Against Ex-NFL Kicker Brandon McManus Dismissed

A judge in Florida dismissed a sexual assault lawsuit this week against former NFL kicker Brandon McManus.
On Tuesday, circuit court Judge Michael S. Sharrit granted a motion to dismiss a lawsuit against McManus and the Jacksonville Jaguars which accused the former kicker of sexually assaulting two women on the team’s flight to London, England, in 2023.
Judge Sharrit wrote in an order that the case against McManus did not have “exceptional” criteria required to keep the two women anonymous. In the lawsuit against McManus, the two women were identified as “Jane Doe I” and “Jane Doe II.”
“Fairness requires Plaintiffs be prepared to stand behind their charges publicly in the same way Defendant McManus must openly refute them,” the judge wrote in an order.
Following the dismissal of the lawsuit, the two women will now have 10 days to file an amended complaint, where they will be required to use their legal names. An attorney representing the two women said after the ruling that they would be filing the amended complaint.
In a statement, Tony Buzbee, the lawyer representing the two women said, “Most defendants in sexual assault cases file these types of motions thinking that the victims won’t proceed if they have to publicly reveal their names.
“We anticipated this ruling. To be clear, these women have no intention of running and hiding and will comply with the court’s order in a timely fashion. We look forward to continuing to pursue this important case,” Buzbee’s statement added.
On the other hand, Brett Gallaway, the attorney representing McManus in the case, said that the allegations made against his client are “baseless.”
“We look forward to him returning to the NFL playing field as soon as possible,” Gallaway said in a statement following the judge’s ruling on Tuesday.
McManus previously played for the Jaguars and then the Washington Commanders. McManus signed a contract with the Commanders in March 2024 but was released by the team shortly after in June following the lawsuit against him.
The women, who were flight attendants on a Jacksonville charter flight to London last September, accused McManus of attempting to kiss one of them and inappropriately grinding and rubbing against both while they were on duty. They are seeking over $1 million in damages.
The lawsuit alleges that the flight “quickly turned into a party” as McManus and other players ignored the flight attendants’ personal space, air travel safety, and federal law. The women claim McManus handed out $100 bills to encourage them and other attendants to drink and dance inappropriately.
This article includes reporting from The Associated Press.