The
former


eXp
Realty
agent
at
the
center
of
the
firm’s
current
legal
battles
involving

sexual
assault
allegations
has
filed
his
own
lawsuit
against
the
brokerage,
which
accuses
founder

Glenn
Sanford
of
defaming
him
during
the
firm’s

Q3
2023
earnings
call
in
November
2023.

In
a
suit
filed
on
April
19
in
Spokane
County,
Washington,
Michael
Bjorkman
accuses
Sanford
defaming
him
during
the
earnings
call
by
calling
him
a
“sex
trafficker
and
rapist.”

In

two
separate
lawsuits,
Bjorkman
—
along
with
another
former
eXp
agent,
David
Golden
—
is
accused
of
drugging
and
sexually
assaulting
women
at
industry
events.
The
criminal
charges
against
Bjorkman
have
since
been
dismissed,
but
he
claims
that
his
career
has
suffered
as
a
result
of
Sanford’s
alleged
defamation.

According
to
Bjorkman’s
complaint,
Sanford
referred
to
him
and
Golden
as
“two
bad
actors,”
adding
that
the
situation
could
ultimately
involve
“jail
time.”
Bjorkman
argues
that
these
comments
are
equivalent
to
Sanford
telling
listeners
that
he
committed
assault,
an
allegation
he
claims
is
false.

“As
a
result
of
being
called
a
sex
trafficker
and
rapist
in
front
of
his
entire
former
company
and
national
investors,
and
then
posted
online
for
all
to
see,
Mr.
Bjorkman
has
suffered
significant
economic
and
noneconomic
damages,”
the
complaint
states.

Additionally,
the
suit
claims
that
eXp
and
Sanford
failed
to
pay
Bjorkman
money
that
the
firm
agreed
to
provide
him
with,
and
that
the
brokerage
breached
its
contract
and
broke
laws
related
to
good
faith
and
fair
dealing.

Bjorkman
is
asking
for
general
damages
of
at
least
$20
million,
as
well
as
for
other
unspecified
and
monetary
damages,
as
well
as
attorneys’
fees
and
interest.

In
an
emailed
statement,
an
eXp
spokesperson
wrote
that
the
“claims
against
eXp
and
its
leadership
have
no
basis
in
fact
or
law,”
and
that
the
firm
“vehemently
denies”
them.

“We
are
confident
in
our
position
and
are
prepared
to
present
and
defend
it
as
such,”
the
spokesperson
added.

The
sexual
assault
allegations
first
came
to
light
in
February
2023
in
a
suit
filed
by
Fabiola
Acevedo
and
three
Jane
Does,
two
of
whom
have
now
been
identified
as
Tami
Sims
and
Christiana
Lundy.
The

suit
accuses

eXp
World
Holdings,
eXp
Realty,
Sanford,
suspended
eXp
agent
Golden,
now-former
eXp
agent
Bjorkman
and
eXp
agent
Brent
Gove
of
violating
federal
sex
trafficking
laws
by
ignoring
or
participating
in
alleged
sexual
assaults.

Sanford
and
eXp
were
dismissed
from
this
suit
in
January
2024.
But
the
judge
allowed
the
plaintiffs
to
file

a
second
amended
complaint
in
which
they
allege
that,
using
recruiting
tactics
suggested
by
eXp
and
Sanford,
Bjorkman
and
Golden
openly
displayed
their
success
at
recruiting
events,
leading
them
to
become
successful
recruiters
that
generated
substantial
income
for
both
Sanford
and
Gove
through
the
firm’s
revenue-sharing
program.

Due
to
this,
the
plaintiffs
claim
that
Sanford
and
eXp
allowed
Bjorkman’s
and
Golden’s
“behavior
to
go
unchecked
for
years
simply
so
they
could
continue
to
reap
the
financial
benefits.”

In
December
2023, a
second
lawsuit was
filed
by
Anya
Roberts.
In
the
complaint,
Roberts
claims
she
was
given
substances
at
eXp
events
that
caused
her
to
black
out.
She
believes
she
was
sexually
assaulted
by
both
Golden
and
Bjorkman
while
unconscious.

Sanford
and
eXp
were
also
named
as
defendants
in
this
suit.
In
early
April
2024,
Judge
André
Birotte
Jr.
of
the U.S.
District
Court
in
the
Central
District
of
California,
who
is
also
overseeing
the
Acevedo
suit,
said
he
was
taking
motions
to
dismiss
the
Roberts
suit
filed
by
Sanford,
eXp
Realty,
eXp
World
Holdings
and
Gove
under
submission.

A
third
lawsuit,
which
was
filed
in
January
2024,
accuses
Chris
Nevada,
a
former
team
leader
at
eXp,
of
a
variety
of
sexual
harassment
behaviors.
These
include
making
sexual
remarks
in
the
workplace,
offering
to
pay
the
plaintiff
for
sex,
“unwanted
touching”
and
attempts
at
kissing,
and
sexually
oriented
texts.
Bjorkman
and
Golden
are
not
named
in
this
lawsuit.

All
three
lawsuits
are
currently
progressing
through
the
courts.
  

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