Just one day before the case was to go to trial, eXp managed to evade court as a partial settlement was reached.
In the settlement filed Oct. 18, former eXp agent Anya Roberts officially reached a confidential settlement which resolves all claims against eXp Realty, Founder Glenn Sanford and parent company AGNT, Inc.
The settlement only concerns the company and Sanford, meaning that the case against two former top eXp recruiters—Michael Bjorkman and David Golden—proceeds this morning.
With the settlement, Sanford and eXp seem to have been cleared of any liability—though a largely similar lawsuit from four other women is still proceeding, RISMedia confirmed with a lawyer for Roberts.
Following the settlement, eXp did not immediately respond to RISMedia for a comment.
Roberts had sought to prove that the company should be held liable based on their knowledge and oversight of Bjorkman and Golden. At the time of the case’s filing, Sanford was CEO of eXp’s parent company—AGNT—but recently stepped down from the role. He remains chairman of the board at AGNT and the role of CEO is now filled by Leo Pareja.
In January of this year, the case reached a different partial settlement, one in which all claims against another top eXp recruiter, Brent Gove, were resolved. Gove himself was not accused of sexual assault, but Roberts and other women alleged that he had recruited the men who did and interfered in the investigation by soliciting witnesses to make false statements to police.
Where it started
The lawsuit was initially filed in late 2023, where Roberts accused two former eXp agents—Bjorkman and Golden—of drugging and sexually assaulting her at an eXp agent recruiting event.
The timeline of the case spans across several locations including Dallas, Texas; Puerto Vallarta, Mexico; Daytona Beach, Florida and Los Cabos, Mexico.
Within the initial complaint, Roberts alleges that Bjorkman and Golden “made sure that each of their events were fully stocked with copious amounts of alcohol and drugs, including GHB, which is commonly referred to as a date-rape drug.”
Alongside the accusation against the two agents, the lawsuit’s initial complaint alleges that eXp “encouraged, and permitted abhorrent behavior or at least recklessly disregarded and willfully turned a blind eye to the actions of its top agent influencers for the benefit of its bottom line.”
The complaint also states that the drugging and sexual assault “were rampant within eXp, during eXp events, agent sponsored events, as well as events where eXp was in attendance, permeating the company’s culture.”
Where its going
Although eXp is no longer involved as a defendant in the trial, the case against Bjorkman and Golden is still ongoing.
The trial against Bjorkman and Golden is set to begin at 8:30 a.m. Pacific Time, in the U.S. District Court of the Central District of California. The trial is overseen by Judge André Birotte Jr.
Another sexual assault lawsuit, known as the Acevedo case, is ongoing alongside the Roberts lawsuit. The case involves four women who also allege that Bjorkman and Golden used eXp recruitment events to “prey upon” them as part of a recruiting scheme, according to the original complaint.
The Acevedo complaint names eXp, and alleges that the company “knew of such actions yet turned a blind eye, propelled by the continued financial benefits they received.”
Andrea Hirsch, a lawyer representing plaintiffs in both the Roberts and Acevedo cases, told RISMedia the settlement does not include plaintiffs or their claims in the Acevedo case.
Although eXp has dodged the legal battle, it’s unclear how the company will fare with the trial still ongoing.
This is a breaking story. Stay tuned to RISMedia for updates.
