A federal court has intervened to prevent the planned two-year closure of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, while simultaneously ordering the removal of President Donald Trump’s name from the building’s facade and official materials.
U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper issued the ruling on Friday, granting a partial summary judgment and preliminary injunction in response to a legal challenge brought by Ohio Democratic Representative Joyce Beatty. The judge determined that the Board of Trustees had exceeded its statutory authority in both matters.
The controversy began in December when Trump’s name was added to the Kennedy Center’s exterior and website, effectively rebranding it as “The Donald J. Trump and The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts.” According to court documents, this change was not on the agenda for the December 18 board meeting and was only raised at the meeting’s conclusion.
Judge Cooper, appointed during the Obama administration, found that the addition of Trump’s name violated the center’s founding statute. In his 94-page opinion, he emphasized that Congress had deliberately named the institution the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in 1964, transforming it from its original designation as the National Culture Center.
“Congress gave the Kennedy Center its name, and only Congress can change it,” Cooper stated in his ruling. He rejected the Justice Department’s argument that adding Trump’s name was merely a secondary designation rather than a renaming, calling this position “too cute by half.”
The judge noted that when Congress authorized the REACH expansion in 2012, lawmakers were careful to preserve the memorial’s dedication to President Kennedy, requiring that private contributors be acknowledged inside the building rather than on its exterior.
Regarding the planned closure, Cooper determined that a March 16 board vote approving the two-year shutdown for renovations was procedurally flawed. The judge found that the board, which Trump had filled with allies while naming himself chairman, had based its decision on insufficient information and failed to consider the full scope of its statutory obligations.
“The preliminary factual record before the court reveals that, in ratifying President Trump’s closure announcement, the board was derelict in discharging the full range of its responsibilities to the center,” Cooper wrote.
The closure had been scheduled to begin July 6 to address maintenance issues, including significant water damage that had accumulated over decades. Matthew Floca, the center’s chief operating officer since March 24, had testified about the areas requiring attention during an April 29 hearing.
Importantly, Cooper’s ruling does not prevent necessary repairs from being conducted. The injunction specifically allows the government to perform required maintenance work throughout the building. The judge also indicated that the board could potentially close the center in the future if it follows proper procedures and conducts a more balanced review.
The administration has been ordered to remove Trump’s name from the building, website, and all other materials by June 12. The parties involved must file a joint status report regarding next steps by June 5.
Representative Beatty praised the ruling, stating that it affirms the Kennedy Center belongs to the American people and that the decisions to rename and close the facility had no legal basis. The judge is also presiding over a similar challenge to the closure brought by the DC Preservation League, though he denied a second preliminary injunction in that case.
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