A security guard from Illinois has accused WWE wrestler Montez Ford of performing a “sexualized lap dance” on him during a live broadcast of “Monday Night Raw” on Netflix.
Noel Lucas has filed a lawsuit claiming Ford, whose legal name is Kenneth Crawford, along with WWE, is responsible for assault, battery, and intentional infliction of emotional distress, among other charges. This lawsuit was filed on Wednesday and has been confirmed by multiple sources.
According to Lucas, the incident occurred when Ford and his tag team partner, Angelo Dawkins, were entering the arena for their match at Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Illinois, on July 6.
Lucas, who is an officer with the Cook County Sheriff’s Department working as off-duty security at the event, claims Ford approached him unexpectedly and began dancing in a way that he described as “sexually provocative.”
The lawsuit details that Ford “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 ‘lap dance.’” This claim is included in the filing with the Circuit Court of Cook County.
Further allegations include that as the dance progressed, Ford moved closer to Lucas, with his “left inner thigh repeatedly rubbing against Plaintiff’s leg.” The lawsuit states there are 14 counts in total, including breaches of the Illinois Gender Violence Act.
In fan footage from the event, Ford can be seen dancing over Lucas, who initially appears uncomfortable and looks away but then cracks a smile.
The July 6 episode of “Raw” reportedly attracted around 12,500 attendees and garnered approximately 2.5 million views globally on Netflix within a week, as per data from Wrestlenomics.
Interestingly, the episode currently streaming on Netflix seems to cut away before the interaction in question, omitting what the lawsuit describes.
Following the incident, Lucas mentioned that the video began circulating on social media, reaching hundreds of thousands of viewers, including on WWE’s and Ford’s official accounts.
Lucas claims the aftermath was tough, with people recognizing him in public, even mocking him by mimicking sexual movements they saw in the video. He also stated that his children faced ridicule at school due to the footage.
The lawsuit expresses that Lucas has endured significant “humiliation, embarrassment, and emotional distress” from the incident, which continues to affect him since the video is still accessible online.
In addition, Lucas is accusing WWE and Ford of using his likeness for commercial gain without his consent, referencing the Illinois Right of Publicity Act.
He’s seeking unspecified monetary compensation, punitive damages, and legal fees, along with a court mandate to prevent the defendants from using his identity.
Lucas also oversees security for a private company called Monterrey Security, which assigned him to the WWE event. According to the lawsuit, a WWE official directed him to take a ringside position.
A case management hearing for this matter is set for December 10.
For some background, Ford has been with WWE since 2015 and formed the Street Profits with Dawkins in 2017, winning multiple tag team titles across various WWE brands, including achieving Triple Crown status in 2020.
