Legal fight stalls Kennedy Center’s latest attempt to restore Trump’s name
TheGrio...
The board approved putting the president’s name back on the facade months after a federal judge ordered it removed.
The Kennedy Center says it will wait until at least Sept. 8 before taking any action to restore President Donald Trump’s name to the building’s facade, adding another cog to an increasingly contentious legal fight over the Washington performing arts institution.
The commitment came in a court filing Tuesday, as lawyers for Rep. Joyce Beatty, a Democratic member of the Kennedy Center’s board, urged a federal judge to intervene before the board can act on its latest naming resolution.
According to the filing reviewed by The Associated Press, the Kennedy Center said it would not implement the plan before Sept. 8, giving both sides additional time to present their legal arguments. Beatty’s attorneys, however, warned that the board could move quickly once that date passes
The dispute stems from a May ruling by U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper, who found that Trump’s name had been placed on the Kennedy Center facade unlawfully and ordered the letters removed. The Trump administration and its allies have not succeeded in overturning that ruling.
The latest board vote has escalated the conflict. Members approved a plan that would put Trump’s name back on the facade and rename the plaza in his honor. The proposed wording would identify the venue as the “The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts Restored and Renovated By President Donald J. Trump.”
The board has separately endorsed closing the Kennedy Center for two years to undertake major renovations. The institution says an analysis by Delta Consulting Group favored a full closure as the most practical option, citing construction costs, safety concerns and the need to limit prolonged disruption to performances.
Beatty’s lawyers dispute that conclusion and have questioned how the August meeting was conducted. They argue that board members received key materials only two days before the vote and that some documents predated Cooper’s May ruling.
The legal fight also remains visible on the building itself. A tarp continues to cover the section where Trump’s name had been installed. The Kennedy Center told the court it would not commit to removing the tarp, saying it is also being used for water testing and structural work.
For now, the Kennedy Center’s latest filing means the name dispute is on hold, but hardly settled. Any attempt to restore Trump’s name after Sept. 8 could trigger another round of litigation over who has the legal authority to alter the landmark’s identity.