eXp, Sanford released from some claims in sexual assault case 

In advance of a sexual assault trial now scheduled for October, a judge has released eXp World Holdings and founder Glenn Sanford from certain claims in a case that also targets the company's brokerage and two former agents.

Plaintiff Anya Roberts, an eXp agent who originally filed the lawsuit in 2023, alleges that she was drugged and sexually assaulted at an eXp recruiting event, and that company leaders turned a blind eye to agents' bad behavior. 

Defendants in the case, which currently includes former eXp agents Michael Bjorkman and David Golden, eXp World Holdings, eXp Realty and Sanford, had submitted motions for summary judgment asking the court to toss certain claims against them. Judge Andre Birotte, Jr. of the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California has now ruled on those motions, with a court document filed on Aug. 21 revealing that some motions were granted and others were denied.

Some sex trafficking, liability claims dropped: eXp World Holdings was released from claims under the federal Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act (TVPRA), with the judge ruling that Roberts didn't have enough evidence to support the claim that the holding company knowingly benefitted from Golden and Bjorman's alleged sex trafficking or should have known about their violations of the TVPRA.

The judge also granted eXp World Holdings and Sanford summary judgment on vicarious liability claims, ruling that there was insufficient evidence that the company and its CEO had the necessary control over Bjorkman and Golden to be legally responsible for the former agents' actions towards Roberts.

Similarly, claims of negligence in the hiring, supervision and retention of Bjorkman and Golden were dropped, since the judge determined there was not sufficient evidence that Sanford or the holding company should have known about the ex-agents' alleged propensity for sexual assault.

Bjorkman, Golden to be tried separately from eXp: Bjorkman had asked the judge to separate the allegations against him personally from those faced by the eXp corporate defendants, arguing that evidence related to the company's internal handling of the case could be prejudicial to Bjorkman and Golden.

The judge agreed, allowing Bjorkman's trial to be severed from eXp corporate entities — but he said Bjorkman's case is intertwined with Golden's, and they would thus be tried together.

Claims that remain at play: Roberts' sexual battery, civil battery and emotional distress claims against Bjorkman and Golden at the state level, as well as claims that the two ex-agents drugged her and coerced her into sex acts, will be allowed to move forward at trial.

Golden and Bjorkman also still face sex trafficking claims in connection with recruitment events they attended with Roberts in different cities across the country.

While eXp World Holdings was released from TVPRA claims, Sanford and eXp Realty were not. They will have to address the claims at trial, especially in relation to the company's revenue-share plan that incentivizes agents to recruit other agents. 

eXp Realty is also still on the hook for vicarious liability and claims regarding negligent hiring, retention and supervision of Golden and Bjorkman.

Next steps: The case was originally scheduled to go to trial on August 31. The court will hold a status conference on Sept. 18 to discuss the trial, which is now slated to begin on Oct. 19.