Texans owner fighting claims she needs guardian

HOUSTON — The owner of the Houston Texans is fighting efforts by one of her sons to have her declared incapacitated and have a guardian appointed for her, according to court records.

The news of infighting among the family comes as the Texans, who won the AFC South this season, get ready to host the Cleveland Browns on Saturday in their first playoff appearance since the 2019 season.

Robert Cary McNair Jr. filed his application for appointment of a guardian for Janice McNair, 87, in November with probate court in Harris County, where Houston is located. The application, which details his reasons for seeking to have her declared incapacitated, was temporarily sealed last month by a judge.

In court documents filed last month, attorneys for Janice McNair and her son Cal McNair, who is chairman and CEO of the Texans, said the McNairs were “shocked” by Cary McNair’s “drastic and unwarranted measures of alleging his mother is incapacitated, seeking to terminate her rights, and appoint himself as her guardian to control her personal, financial, and medical decisions. Ms. McNair and Cal are firmly against any allegation or implication that Ms. McNair is incapacitated or needs a guardianship.”

In a two-page affidavit, Janice McNair, who became the principal owner of the Texans after her husband, Robert “Bob” McNair, died in 2018, asked that all court records in the case be sealed to protect her confidential personal, financial and medical information.

“The details of this family dispute becoming public will have a serious impact on the Texans,” she said. “It will create a needless and baseless media stir regarding the ownership and direction of the Texans, thereby negatively affecting our employees, business partners and the team.”

Judge Jerry Simoneaux held a hearing Tuesday on the request to seal the records and on Wednesday issued an order asking for additional information before making a final ruling. The judge kept Cary McNair’s guardianship application temporarily sealed.

Attorneys for Janice McNair, Cal McNair and Cary McNair did not immediately respond to emails seeking comment Wednesday. Texans spokesperson Omar Majzoub said the team had no comment on the situation.

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