Tiger Woods’ lawyers dismissed the notion that Erica Herman’s claims constitute a "sexual assault dispute" or a "sexual harassment dispute" amid her lawsuit against the Jupiter Island Irrevocable Trust.
According to new court documents filed Monday in Florida, Woods’ lawyers say that Herman did not allege any sexual harassment or assault claims against the legendary golfer and say the "bare reference to the statute, without any allegations to support its application to the facts of this case, is insufficient to relieve Ms. Herman from her contractual obligation to arbitrate."
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Woods’ lawyers called Herman’s case against the golfer "a transparent abuse of the judicial process that undermines the purpose of the federal statute and those whom the statute seeks to protect."
Furthermore, the lawyers described Herman as a "jilted ex-girlfriend."
Herman cited the Speak Out Act as a reason to get out from under the nondisclosure agreement (NDA) she says she was forced to sign working as a restaurant manager for Woods’ eatery in Florida. She asked the court to review the NDA for clarity on what she can say. There were no claims of sexual assault made in either lawsuit.
TIGER WOODS' ATTORNEYS DENY LEGENDARY GOLFER FORCED EX-GIRLFRIEND TO AGREE TO TENANCY AGREEMENTS
In this lawsuit against the trust, Herman claimed she was in an oral tenancy agreement to live in the Hobe Sound, Florida, home for up to 11 years but had only been there for six. She said she was tricked to leave the home and was locked out upon her return. She is seeking $30 million in damages.
"Ms. Herman is a not a victim of sexual assault or abuse sought to be protected by Congress when enacting the statute," Woods’ lawyers said in Monday’s filings. "Rather, Ms. Herman is a jilted ex-girlfriend who wants to publicly litigate specious claims in court, rather than honor her commitment to arbitrate disputes in a confidential arbitration proceeding."
The initial lawsuit against the trust was filed in October, just months after Woods and Herman were spotted together at the U.S. Open.
