In a new update, TMZ reports that a Florida judge ruled that Tiger Woods and Erica Herman must settle their legal case in arbitration instead of court. With this new ruling, the court is upholding the existing arbitration clause in the NDA that states any legal dispute between the two parties be settled behind closed doors. This, of course, is a far cry from Herman’s March request, where she asked for the NDA to be nullified and argued for the case to go to court. Woods, on the other hand, who has consistently denied any wrongdoing, was hoping to go through a private arbitrator.
Elizabeth A. Metzger, the judge in charge of the case, also touched on Herman’s sexual harassment allegations, describing it as “vague” and “implausibly pled.” According to ESPN, Metzger also wrote in her ruling: “Herman has had the opportunity [to] provide factual specificity for any claim relating to sexual assault or sexual harassment, however, she has not done so.”
Though Woods’ legal battle with Herman has continued to make headlines, she is not the first woman to sign an NDA with the athlete. According to The New York Times, former nightclub manager Rachel Uchitel has since revealed that she also signed a non-disclosure agreement after her affair with the pro golfer ended back in 2009.