Cy-Fair resident sued over Tea Party comments

A Tomball resident is suing board members of a local Tea Party organization after, she says, they stained her good name by publishing false statements about her.

Tomball resident Patricia Bailey filed a lawsuit on Jan. 28 in the Harris County District Court against Richard Smith, Paul Smith Sr., Cypress resident Scott Bartholomew, Cy-Fair resident Mechelle Maynes, Donna McGraw and Gary VonRosenberg of Spring, alleging libel.

Bailey says that during November and December 2010, the defendants, board members of the Tomball Tea Party, published or caused to be published statements accusing Bailey of HOA abuse and elder abuse. According to the brief, these libelous statements published by the defendants impeach the honesty, integrity, virtue and reputation of Bailey.

Bailey is seeking damages of at least $100,000 and exemplary damages, attorney’s fees and court costs. She is being represented in the case by Tomball attorney Michael Durham.

Harris County District Court Case No. 2011-05894.

This is a report on a civil lawsuit filed at the Harris County Courthouse. The details in this report come from an original complaint filed by a plaintiff. Please note, a complaint represents an accusation by a private individual, not the government. It is not an indication of guilt, and it only represents one side of the story.