Vince McMahon Accuser Janel Grant To Speak at 2/19 Connecticut Alliance to End Sexual Violence Event

As noted before, former WWE employee Janel Grant filed a lawsuit in January of 2024 against former WWE/TKO Executive Chairman Vince McMahon accusing McMahon of committing sex trafficking and sexual abuse towards her during her time in the company. Grant had filed an amended lawsuit in February of 2025 detailing new evidence and claims against McMahon, WWE, and others. Grant had also a filed petition against a WWE Wellness doctor named Carlon Colker and his clinic in July of 2024 for medical records related to her lawsuit, which was court ordered to be released this past August.

The Connecticut Alliance to End Sexual Violence announced that Grant will be making a speaking appearance at their event on February 19th at the Legislative Office Building in Hartford, Connecticut.

Official press release:

Advocates and Survivors Call for Legislative Action to Codify PREA and Reform Non-Disclosure  Agreement Laws to Protect Survivors of Sexual Violence in Connecticut

Hartford, CT — Survivors, advocates, legislators and state leaders will gather at the Legislative  Office Building at 10 am on February 19th to call on the legislature to codify the federal Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) into state law and to reform state non-disclosure agreement (NDA)  policies that have been used to silence survivors and conceal abuse.

The event will feature survivors Janel Grant and Alex Brown sharing their lived experiences,  alongside advocates, state leaders and policy makers urging legislative action to strengthen  protections for incarcerated survivors and ensure transparency and accountability across  systems.

“Survivors deserve safety, dignity and the right to be heard – no matter where the harm  occurs,” said Beth Hamilton, Executive Director of the Connecticut Alliance to End Sexual  Violence, who is hosting the event. “Codifying PREA into state law ensures consistent standards, oversight, and access to reporting and services for incarcerated survivors, while NDA  reform prevents contracts from being used to hide abuse or retaliate against those who speak  out.”

Advocates and survivor are calling for changes to state NDA laws to prevent the use of  confidentiality provisions that silence survivors of sexual violence, harassment,  discrimination and retaliation. Reforming non-disclosure agreement laws ensures that  survivors’ rights to speak about harm are enforceable, consistent, and not dependent on  the relative power of an employer or institution. Updating state law transforms  confidentiality from a tool of coercion into a survivor-centered choice by closing loopholes  that allow retaliation, secrecy, and repeated harm.

“Too often, NDAs protect institutions with power rather than people who were harmed.  Updating our laws restores balance and accountability and puts survivor safety and  transparency first,” said Senator Julie Kushner.

“We are all more vulnerable to coercive control than we realize. Coercive control happens  in increments, and entire industries are built on systems of coercive control. Tools such as  NDAs can be used to ominously justify anything, and even turn a life into someone else’s
storyline, keeping even those who have not signed confidentiality agreements working in  fear. Any system that sacrifices people, whether current or former employees, at the  expense of safety and human dignity, is dangerous, if not impossible, for someone to  ‘leave.’ I’m not alone in living a life looking over my shoulder. Evolving systems and holistic  change in how we address sexual violence remains painfully slow. I am here to be a part of  the solution and give a voice to people in Connecticut who are living and working in fear. I  want to empower others with information in the hopes that we can create a better and safer  world,” said Janel Grant, whose NDA with WWE has impacted her ability to address sexual  violence.

Governor Lamont included codifying PREA in his priorities this session. Senate Bill 89 An  Act Updating Prison Rape Elimination Standards would adopt National Prison Rape  Elimination Act standards as of January 1, 2024 and make them fully enforceable in  Connecticut.

Codifying PREA into state law ensures that protections against sexual abuse in custody are  enforceable, consistent, and not dependent on administrative policy or at the discretion of  federal leadership. Without codification, compliance is uneven, and survivors often lack  clear rights or remedies when systems fail. Creating state law transforms PREA from  guidance into accountability by closing gaps in reporting, investigation, and access to  survivor-centered services.

“Sexual abuse in custody is a systemic failure, and PREA must be enforced in ways  survivors can safely access. PREA only works when survivors are believed, protected and  supported,” said Alex Brown, a justice-impacted survivor, advocate and professional.

“People in state custody are entirely dependent on the system for their safety. Codifying  PREA into state law aZirms that protection from sexual abuse is not discretionary. Clear  standards, enforceable rights, and meaningful oversight are essential to preventing harm  and maintaining public trust in our correctional institutions,” said Department of  Corrections Ombuds DeVaughn Ward.

For more information about The Alliance or services available to survivors of sexual violence in  Connecticut, visit www.EndSexualViolenceCT.org.

About The Connecticut Alliance to End Sexual Violence

The Alliance is the state’s coalition of community-based sexual assault crisis service centers,  working to increase and protect the rights of survivors while ensuring access to comprehensive,  trauma-informed care. Our member centers provide 24/7 crisis intervention through hotlines,  counseling, support groups, and in-person accompaniments and advocacy in hospital, police,  and court settings. In addition, our legal services team offers no-cost representation to victims  in both civil and criminal matters, and our post-conviction victim advocates ensure notification and support for survivors whose offenders are under supervision of the Office of Adult  Probation Sex Offender Supervision Unit and the Parole Special Management Unit.

Beyond direct services, The Alliance leads statewide policy and systems-change initiatives to  strengthen legal protections, expand access to justice, and uphold the dignity and rights of  survivors across Connecticut. For more than 40 years, we have been at the forefront of  advancing survivor-centered legislation while providing comprehensive, healing-focused  services to child, adolescent, and adult victims of sexual violence.