Bexar County (Texas) Probate Court Judge TOM RICKHOFF "reprimanded" the lawyers representing Saints and Pelicans Owner TOM BENSON and his daughter, RENEE, "for failing to formally notify the court that the two sides agreed to settle their fight over a family estate," according to David Hendricks of the SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS. Rickhoff yesterday "set a Feb. 12 deadline for the two sides to file their settlement agreement with the court or face yet another court-appointed team of receivers for the Shirley Benson Testamentary Trust." Rickhoff: "I’m worried about losing control of the case. All I have are words. A new party could come in [and claim there was never a settlement]." A confidential settlement was announced Jan. 22 by lawyers on both sides "three days before Tom Benson was scheduled to give a private deposition and about a week before the Feb. 1 jury trial was set to begin." Both sides said that they "have a binding agreement but neither would tell Rickhoff whether they chose a new trustee for the Shirley Benson trust" (SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS, 2/2).
DISCRIMINATION CASE: In New Orleans, Katherine Sayre noted lawyers for the Saints in a court filing yesterday argued that Benson's former personal assistant, who is "accusing the Saints owner's wife of racial discrimination, must take his allegations to binding arbitration" with NFL Commissioner ROGER GOODELL. RODNEY HENRY, the former assistant, claims that GAYLE BENSON "repeatedly harassed him on the job and made racially derogatory remarks before orchestrating his firing." The allegations were "added in January to Henry's lawsuit filed last year claiming he is owed back pay for long hours in the position" (NOLA.com, 2/1).