Litigation over museum financial reports ends

GALVESTON - A lawsuit alleging financial misconduct attributed to a League City museum's president and treasurer is close to a conclusion.

Butler Longhorn Museum board members Melanie Wiggins, Lou Shields and Elise Sartwelle have decided to cease legal action against the museum, President Betty Specion and Treasurer Jane McFaddin after Specion and McFaddin provided them with financial documents. The financial records were the focal point of their suit, filed May 2 before the Galveston County 405th District Court.

Wiggins, Shields and Sartwelle, who were elected to the board prior to the end of last year, originally sued Specion and McFaddin in response to the defendants' apparent refusal to honor their requests to access the museum's financial books and records, including the annual reports.

The complainants say the documentation was important as the city of League City has an agreement with the museum to provide a certain amount of financial support. The plaintiffs claim the city was on the brink of eliminating the funds.

The city presented the museum a June 30 deadline for a viable business plan at a March 8 meeting, however, the defendants failed to accommodate the plaintiffs, according to the original petition.

Specion, McFaddin and the museum entered a motion for summary judgment and an original answer on May 31, only to rescind both.

Case No. 11-cv-0725