The legal landscape surrounding one of the most high-profile sexual assault lawsuits in the real estate industry has reached a critical juncture. Last week, the remaining defendants in the Roberts v. eXp World Holdings et al. case filed independent motions for summary judgment, seeking a total dismissal of the claims brought against them. The defendants—Michael Bjorkman and David Golden, both former top-tier recruiting agents for eXp Realty, alongside the brokerage’s parent company, eXp World Holdings, and its founder and CEO, Glenn Sanford—argue that the plaintiff’s claims lack the necessary legal and factual basis to proceed to trial.
The lawsuit, originally filed in December 2023 by plaintiff Anya Roberts, has sent ripples through the real estate community, raising fundamental questions about corporate responsibility, the supervision of independent contractors, and the culture of high-stakes recruiting events. The case centers on a series of events that allegedly occurred during a 2020 "Freedom Summit" in California, a recruiting event that has now become the focal point of a multi-year legal battle.
The Genesis of the Litigation: The February 2020 Freedom Summit
To understand the current legal maneuvers, one must look back to February 2020. The event at the heart of the complaint was the "Freedom Summit," a multi-day recruiting and networking gathering hosted by Brent Gove, a prominent figure within the eXp Realty ecosystem. A central feature of this summit was a sunset cruise, which Roberts alleges was the setting for the events that led to her assault.
According to the complaint, Roberts was a guest at the event when she was approached by the girlfriend of David Golden. Roberts alleges she was handed a pill and told it was Adderall, a stimulant often used for focus. However, Roberts contends that the substance was actually a sedative or "date rape" drug that caused her to lose consciousness shortly thereafter. While Roberts acknowledges that she has no memory of the hours following the ingestion of the pill, she asserts that the testimonies of other attendees, coupled with "flashes of memory" and physical contextual clues, led her to the conclusion that she was raped by both David Golden and Michael Bjorkman.
At the time of the alleged incident, Bjorkman and Golden were high-ranking "influencers" within eXp Realty’s cloud-based brokerage model, known for their aggressive recruiting tactics and significant downlines. Both men have since seen their affiliations with the company terminated as the allegations came to light and the legal proceedings advanced.
A Complex Chronology of Legal Filings and Settlements
The trajectory of this lawsuit has been marked by significant procedural shifts. After the initial filing in late 2023, the case saw an early victory for the corporate defendants. In May 2024, Judge Andre Birotte of the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California dismissed Glenn Sanford and eXp World Holdings from the complaint, citing a lack of specific evidence linking the corporate entity and its leadership to the alleged individual misconduct of the agents.
However, the legal reprieve for Sanford and eXp was temporary. Roberts’ legal team filed an amended complaint that introduced more specific allegations regarding the company’s knowledge of the agents’ prior behavior. This amended filing successfully "dragged" the corporate defendants back into the litigation, setting the stage for the current motions for summary judgment.
Parallel to the proceedings against Sanford, Bjorkman, and Golden, the plaintiff reached a confidential settlement with Brent Gove, the host of the Freedom Summit, in January 2026. With Gove removed from the docket, the focus has shifted entirely to whether the brokerage and its CEO can be held "vicariously liable" for the actions of independent contractors at a non-mandatory social event.
The Defense Strategy: Challenging Vicarious Liability and the TVPRA
In the motions filed last Friday, the eXp defendants and Glenn Sanford presented a unified front against the application of the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act (TVPRA). The TVPRA is a federal statute often utilized in civil litigation to hold entities accountable if they "knowingly benefit" from a venture that engages in sex trafficking or related abuses.
The defense argues that Roberts cannot demonstrate that eXp Realty or Sanford had any prior knowledge of the alleged conduct of Bjorkman and Golden. Furthermore, they contend that the legal threshold for vicarious liability—where an employer is held responsible for the acts of an employee—cannot be met in this instance. The primary reason cited is the status of Bjorkman and Golden as independent contractors rather than traditional employees. Under California and federal law, the degree of control an entity exercises over a person’s daily work is a deciding factor in liability; eXp argues that its agents operate with near-total autonomy, and the company cannot be held responsible for their private conduct at a third-party event.
Additionally, the motions challenge the plaintiff’s claims of negligent hiring, retention, and supervision. The defense asserts that:
- Neither eXp nor Sanford breached any duty of care owed to Roberts.
- Even if a breach of duty had occurred, there is no "causal connection" between the company’s administrative oversight and the specific, intentional criminal acts alleged by the plaintiff.
Corporate Response and the "Zero Tolerance" Stance
In response to the recent filings, eXp World Holdings has maintained a firm public stance. An eXp spokesperson emphasized that the company maintains a "zero tolerance for abuse, harassment, or misconduct of any kind." This statement is part of a broader effort by the company to distance its corporate brand from the individual actions of the accused former agents.
The spokesperson further noted, "eXp hopes and trusts that the court will give a full and fair hearing to the plaintiffs as they continue to pursue claims against the individuals who allegedly assaulted them. However, the claims against eXp World Holdings, eXp Realty, and Glenn Sanford have no basis in fact or law." The company’s position is clear: while they do not dispute the gravity of the assault allegations against Bjorkman and Golden, they vehemently deny that the corporate entity or its CEO should be financially or legally responsible for those alleged crimes.
Industry Context: The Independent Contractor Model Under Fire
The Roberts case is not an isolated incident but rather part of a growing trend of litigation challenging the "hands-off" management style prevalent in modern real estate brokerages. eXp Realty, which operates as a virtual brokerage with tens of thousands of agents worldwide, relies heavily on a multi-level marketing-style recruiting structure. In this model, agents are incentivized to recruit others into their "revenue share" groups.
Critics argue that this incentive structure can create a "wild west" environment where top recruiters are given significant leeway and protection due to the revenue they generate for the company. The Roberts lawsuit is being watched closely by industry analysts as a potential bellwether for how much oversight a brokerage must provide for events that are ostensibly "business-related" but hosted by independent agents.
If the court denies the motions for summary judgment, it could signal a shift in how the TVPRA is applied to corporate entities in the real estate sector, potentially forcing brokerages to implement much stricter codes of conduct and monitoring for all agent-hosted events.
Data and Supporting Evidence in the Case
While the specific evidence regarding the night of the "Freedom Summit" remains largely under seal or subject to testimony, the plaintiff’s team has pointed to a broader pattern of behavior. Reports suggest that Roberts’ legal strategy involves documenting prior complaints or "red flags" regarding Bjorkman and Golden that may have been reported to eXp leadership before 2020.
In real estate litigation data, cases involving "negligent supervision" of independent contractors are notoriously difficult for plaintiffs to win unless they can prove a "clear and present danger" that the company ignored. The eXp defense is banking on the fact that without a direct paper trail showing Sanford was warned about specific predatory behavior by these exact agents, the corporate liability claims will fail as a matter of law.
Looking Ahead: The April 2026 Hearing
The next major milestone in this legal saga is set for April 17, 2026. Judge Andre Birotte is scheduled to hear oral arguments regarding all four motions for summary judgment in the U.S. District Court in Los Angeles.
At this hearing, the judge will determine if there is a "genuine dispute of material fact" that requires a jury trial. If the judge grants the motions, eXp Realty and Glenn Sanford will be permanently removed from the case, leaving Bjorkman and Golden to face the allegations individually. If the motions are denied, the case will likely proceed to a high-profile trial that could redefine the boundaries of corporate liability in the age of the gig economy and independent contractor-based industries.
As the real estate industry continues to grapple with issues of safety and professional ethics, the outcome of Roberts v. eXp World Holdings will undoubtedly serve as a landmark precedent for years to come. For now, the parties remain locked in a stalemate, with the plaintiff seeking justice for a life-altering trauma and the defendants fighting to protect the legal foundations of their business model.