Seth Bookout, Leslye Romero, and Ryan Gallagher v. Jonathan Shelley and Stedfast Baptist Church
This accelerated interlocutory appeal stems from a denial of a motion invoking the Texas Citizens Participation Act (TCPA). Appellants Seth Bookout, Leslye Romero, and Ryan Gallagher sought to dismiss a lawsuit filed by Appellees Jonathan Shelley and Stedfast Baptist Church. The dispute concerns an internal church struggle over control of Stedfast, with Appellants purporting to terminate Shelley as pastor and seizing bank accounts. Appellees responded with claims for declaratory judgment, conversion, and defamation. The appellate court affirmed the trial court's order, finding that while some defamation claims were barred by the ecclesiastical abstention doctrine, the court retained jurisdiction over other defamation claims, declaratory relief, and conversion claims, for which Appellees established a prima facie case. The award of attorney's fees to Appellees was also upheld.