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, court records show.
The news of the family infighting comes as the Texans, who won the AFC South this season, prepare to host the Cleveland Browns on Saturday in their first playoff appearance since the 2019 season.
Robert Cary McNair Jr. filed its request to appoint a guardian for Janice McNair, 87, in November in court in Harris County, where Houston is located. The application, which details the reasons why he wants her declared incapacitated, was temporarily sealed by a judge last month.
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 “appalled” by Cary McNair’s “drastic and unwarranted actions to allege that his mother is incapacitated, attempting to terminate her rights and appoint herself as her guardian to control her personal, financial and medical decisions. Ms. McNair and Cal firmly oppose any allegation or implication that Ms. McNair is incapacitated or in need of guardianship.”
In a two-page affidavit, Janice McNair, who became the Texans’ principal owner after her husband, Robert “Bob” McNair, died in 2018, asked that all court documents 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 Texans,” she said. “It will create an unnecessary and unwarranted media furore over the ownership and direction of the Texans, negatively impacting our employees, business partners and the team.”
Judge Jerry Simoneaux held a hearing Tuesday on the request to seal the documents and issued an order Wednesday asking for additional information before making a final ruling. The judge temporarily kept Cary McNair’s custody application under seal.
Attorneys for Janice McNair, Cal McNair and Cary McNair did not immediately respond to emails seeking comment Wednesday. Texas spokesman Omar Majzoub said the team had no comment on the situation.
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AP Sports Writer Kristie Rieken in Houston contributed to this report.
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Follow Juan A. Lozano on X, formerly Twitter: https://twitter.com/juanlozano70