Norton Museum expands lawsuit against phone provider as defense lawyers withdraw

The Norton Museum of Art has expanded its federal lawsuit against its longtime telecommunications provider, adding new statutory and contract claims, as the company’s defense attorneys moved to withdraw from the case over “irreconcilable differences.”

The West Palm Beach museum in October accused Verity Partners of violating a federal law that requires telecom providers to release customer account information needed to transfer phone service, effectively holding the museum’s phone system hostage.

The amended complaint filed Monday adds a separate federal allegation that Verity unreasonably delayed the transfer. It also includes new state-law claims that Verity breached its contract and improperly collected payment for services the museum says were not provided.