Exp Realty, its parent company Exp Holdings, CEO Glenn Sanford, and agent Brent Gove have been dismissed from a lawsuit alleging drugging and sexual assault. The suit, filed in December 2023 in California by plaintiff Anya Roberts, detailed accusations of sexual assault and drugging by agents Michael Bjorkman, David Golden, and Brent Gove. Roberts had named the entity defendants on the grounds that they possessed knowledge of the alleged misconduct and did not intervene.
In their motion to dismiss, Exp Realty, Exp Holdings, and Sanford contended that Roberts had not presented facts demonstrating they received any financial gain from the alleged assaults or that they were aware of Golden and Bjorkman's actions. The defense argued that Roberts was already employed by eXp and had not joined Golden’s downline. Any benefit eXp might have derived from her employment, they claimed, occurred at the time of her hiring, not from a subsequent attempt to change her sponsor.
The court sided with the defendants, noting that even when viewing the complaint favorably to the plaintiff, it remained unclear what benefit the entity defendants would gain from Roberts switching her sponsor due to the alleged sexual acts. The court rejected Roberts’ assertion that any benefit to Golden or Bjorkman automatically translated to a benefit for the entity defendants. The dismissal also cited Roberts' failure to allege that the defendants were informed of police reports concerning the incidents or that they knew the contents of such reports.
Roberts had also alleged that in April 2022, an eXp Board Member raised concerns about sexual assault incidents at conferences. According to Roberts, Sanford dismissed these concerns, stating it was not their problem and would be a fleeting news event. However, the court found it unclear whether this conversation, involving an unnamed board member, specifically addressed the scheme involving Bjorkman and Golden. Roberts has been granted permission to amend her complaint to address deficiencies related to the employer relationship and other issues.
Brent Gove was identified as a central figure in a high-pressure recruitment effort targeting Roberts. He was also alleged to have been present during some of the purported sexual assaults. Gove argued for his dismissal, asserting that Roberts’ complaint lacked sufficient facts to demonstrate "enticement" and that the recruitment activities were merely passive advertisements. He also challenged the complaint for failing to allege facts showing his knowledge of the sexual assaults, which would be necessary to establish beneficiary liability.