A New Orleans judge ruled that Tom Benson, the 87-year-old owner of the NFL’s Saints and NBA’s Pelicans, is competent enough to run his businesses and make decisions pertaining to the family trust. The court denied the petition filed this winter by Benson’s adopted daughter and two grandchildren.
New Orleans judge says Tom Benson capable of running Saints, Pelicans
Tom Benson won an important court decision in the ongoing legal battle with his daughter and grandkids.
Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports
The court found that Benson “is able to make reasoned decisions as to his person and his property” and declined to intervene on behalf of the petitioners.
The case was brought to court by Benson’s daughter Renee and her children Rita and Ryan LeBlanc earlier this year, part of an ongoing legal battle that stems from Benson’s decision to transfer ownership of the two sports teams, along with other family assets, to his third wife, Gayle. They argued that Benson’s health left him legally incompetent and unable to run the family trust.
In January, Benson fired his granddaughter Rita from her executive position with the Saints. He had initially planned to give Rita control over the team as part of a succession plan approved by the NFL. They sued, alleging that Gayle Benson was manipulating his business decisions while his health left him unable to make sound decisions on his own.
Benson issued a statement Thursday afternoon in the wake of the decision:
Gayle and I wish to thank the entire community for the overwhelming support that we have received during this trying time. Through it all, our fans and our sponsors showed unwavering support for our Saints and Pelicans.
We just finished minicamp in front of so many of our great fans and I cannot wait for training camp to start in late July.
On Monday, we will introduce our new Pelicans Head Coach Alvin Gentry. Our football and basketball teams are my focus and that is what has me excited.
And finally, I would like to personally and sincerely thank everyone that worked on this case on our behalf - the lawyers and the staff at the Saints and Pelicans. Now I say let’s go win another Super Bowl and an NBA Championship.
Benson's legal battle isn't over yet. His attempt to replace the two sports teams in the trust was rejected by the trustees when he tried to replace those assets with unsecured promissory notes. Assets can be removed from a trust, but they have to be replaced with assets of equal value. The claim against Benson's move argues that it reduces the value of those two sports franchises (here's more on the legal battle over the teams). Further, Renee and her two children can appeal the judge's ruling in the competency hearing.
