Democratic senators urge public trials for Discord and Roblox in child-abuse suits

GG Brief Editorial Desk · AI-assisted, source attributed

Three Democratic senators — Dick Durbin, Kirsten Gillibrand and Richard Blumenthal — filed an amicus brief on August 28 asking courts to keep lawsuits against Discord and Roblox public rather than compel private arbitration. The brief cites a case where a 13-year-old was groomed on Roblox and coerced into sending explicit material over Discord and argues the 2022 Ending Forced Arbitration of Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment Act prevents companies from forcing arbitration in such cases. The senators say arbitration would shield alleged misconduct and deny survivors public accountability; both companies are facing hundreds of similar lawsuits.

• Senators Durbin, Gillibrand and Blumenthal filed an amicus brief on August 28 urging courts to block arbitration in suits against Discord and Roblox.
• The brief was filed in a case involving a 13-year-old who met a predator on Roblox, was groomed and then blackmailed into sending lewd materials via Discord.
• The senators reference the 2022 Ending Forced Arbitration of Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment Act (EFAA) and argue it bars companies from forcing arbitration in sexual-abuse cases.
• Discord and Roblox are defending hundreds of lawsuits alleging they misled parents about safety and failed to protect children; arbitration would likely keep outcomes sealed from the public.