The son of billionaire Houston Texans owner Janice McNair plans to sue the league for $60 million for its alleged \u201cdeliberate effort to silence\u201d him, court records show.<\/p>\n
The league allegedly got Robert Cary McNair Jr. sidelined from the family businesses because officials didn\u2019t like him questioning its \u201cdecision making\u201d in two high-profile player scandals, he claimed in Manhattan Supreme Court papers filed Friday.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen Cary McNair began asking pointed questions about NFL player scandals that potentially implicated the NFL, its personnel, and its decision-making process, the NFL worked to silence him,\u201d he said in the summons with notice, a precursor to a lawsuit. <\/p>\n
Robert Cary McNair Jr., son of billionaire Houston Texans owner, Janice McNair, plans to sue the league for $60 million for its alleged \u201cdeliberate effort to silence\u201d him after questioning \u201cdecision making\u201d in two scandals. Houston Chronicle via Getty Images<\/p>\n
It\u2019s unclear when McNair, 66, was removed from his business roles.<\/p>\n
In 2021, Texans quarterback Deshawn Watson made headlines after facing numerous allegations of sexual assaults, including 22 civil lawsuits. <\/a>In 2023, a minority owner of the team, Javier Loya, was charged with rape<\/a> in Kentucky. The charge was later dropped<\/a> as part of a plea deal. <\/p>\n The league allegedly tried to shut down McNair Jr.\u2019s questions by \u201cnegotiating a restructuring of the McNair family business and McNair family trust, which led to the more pliable Cal McNair, Cary\u2019s brother, being installed as the Owner\u2019s Representative, and to Cary McNair being stripped of his roles and employment with the McNair family enterprises,\u201d he contended.<\/p>\n Cary Jr. alleged \u201cthe NFL worked to silence him\u201d when he questioned the handling of player scandals, one being Deshawn Watson, who faced allegations of sexual assaults, including 22 civil lawsuits. Getty Images<\/p>\n He was then \u201ccut out of any meaningful role with McNair-associated entities so that, among other things, [he] could exercise no influence over NFL-related matters,\u201d according to court papers.<\/p>\n McNair Jr. made headlines last year<\/a> when he was drawing up power plays of his own \u2014 attempting to get his mom, Janice, 88, who is listed as co-founder and senior chair of the Houston Texans, declared incapacitated. <\/p>\n He dropped that legal case in November after a Houston judge refused to force his mother to undergo an examination to determine her mental capacity, according to reports. <\/a><\/p>\n McNair Jr. tried to get his mom, Janice, 88, a co-founder and senior chair of the Houston Texans, declared incapacitated. Icon Sportswire via Getty Images<\/p>\n Janice McNair, owner of the Houston Texans, looks on before an NFL football game against the Baltimore Ravens on Nov. 17, 2019. AP<\/p>\n The Houston-based McNair family is worth more than $7.3 billion. Patriarch Robert McNair made his fortune in 1999 by selling power company Cogen Technologies to Enron for $1.5 billion.<\/p>\n The elder McNair, who died in 2018 at age 81, founded the Texans in 1999 with a $600 million bid.<\/a><\/p>\n Janice, who had four kids with Robert, inherited ownership of the team after her husband\u2019s death and their son Cal is listed as chairman and CEO. The family also runs McNair Interests, of which McNair Jr. served as CEO.<\/p>\n Janice has four kids with Robert and inherited ownership of the team after her husband\u2019s death. Houston Chronicle via Getty Imag<\/p>\n Janice\u2019s son, Cal, is listed as chairman and CEO, and company restructuring led to \u201cCary McNair being stripped of his roles and employment with the McNair family enterprises,\u201d the ousted son contended. AP<\/p>\n