Dolcefino Consulting announces legal action against Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo
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A message to the sacred cow
“Let me make this as clear as I can make it. We will not be bullied by the rodeo. They are not a sacred cow.”
That was the message delivered at a press conference on the steps of the Harris County Civil Courthouse this morning by Wayne Dolcefino, President of Dolcefino Consulting.
Dolcefino and his attorney, Jeff Diamant announced major legal action against the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo.
The legal action alleges the Rodeo is now in violation of felony criminal laws for attempting to silence our right to look at their charity records under state law. It will be followed by a motion pursuant to the Texas Citizens’ Participation Act (a/k/a the anti-SLAPP Statute), which protects free speech in Texas, seeking dismissal of the Rodeo’s lawsuit brought against Dolcefino Consulting. The legal action, filed today, will seek legal fees and punitive damages.
This fight began when Dolcefino requested charity financial records from the quarter of a billion-dollar rodeo empire, as part of an ongoing investigation into the rape of a young woman at a Los Vaqueros trail ride event. First, the rodeo tried a suit against the rape victim and Dolcefino but was not permitted to do so by the Court. Then they filed a new legal action against Dolcefino Consulting, seeking, among other things, monetary damages from Dolcefino.
“If you’re going to act as a charity, and seek the protections afforded to you under Texas and Federal law to be a charity, then you are responsible, and you have to be accountable as any other charity is,” said Jeff Diamant, Dolcefino Consulting’s counsel. “The Rodeo doesn’t seem to want to play by those rules, all we’re asking is that they play by those rules and that they have the repercussions from not playing by them.”
“I began this effort to try and help a rape victim,” says Dolcefino, “And the rodeo has come after me with everything they have. Shame on them. Houstonians, the volunteers, the donors, the people who pay a lot of money to go to this party once a year ought to send a message to the rodeo.”
The lawsuit is filed in Judge Michael Landrum’s Harris County 113th District Court.
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