Beatty says no review preceded Kennedy Center renaming, shutdown
The memorandum, filed in U.S. District Court in Washington, reiterates her request for measures to halt the changes.
Government and Cultural Heritage
Rep. Joyce Beatty said newly produced records show officials conducted no meaningful review before renaming the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and planning a two-year shutdown, in a new court filing seeking to block both.
The memorandum, filed in U.S. District Court in Washington, reiterates her request for measures to halt the changes while the case proceeds and asks Judge Christopher R. Cooper to rule in her favor on parts of the dispute without a trial.
After extensive backlash that included a stream of show cancellations over attempts to rename it the Trump-Kennedy Center and other actions under Richard Grenell, who was tapped by the president to lead the Kennedy Center, Trump announced in February that the venue would close for renovations.
Trump announces closure of Kennedy Center for two years
The news comes after a string of high-profile cancellations, most recently from composer Philip Glass.
Adam Schrader
“When artists and patrons fled, defendants chose to shutter the center for two years—a decision of extraordinary significance—based on no independent analysis whatsoever,” lawyers for Beatty wrote Monday. “This is the exact opposite of how a prudent fiduciary acts.”
Beatty, an ex officio trustee who serves by virtue of her government position, first filed the lawsuit in late December.
The memorandum marks a shift from the original complaint, relying on documents produced in the case that lawyers for the lawmaker said show the “supposed one-year review” used to justify the center's closure “never happened.”
“The reality is that defendants did not do what any prudent trustee would do in these circumstances. The record also shows that Defendants’ reckless actions threaten the future health of the center and interests of the public,” her lawyers wrote in the memorandum.
Kennedy Center sues jazz performer; National Symphony Orchestra boss resigns
The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts filed a lawsuit Thursday against jazz performer Chuck Redd who refused to perform after President Donald Trump’s name was added to the institution by board members he appointed. The lawsuit came as Democratic Rep. Joyce Beatty filed an amended complaint
Adam Schrader
In the new document, Beatty’s lawyers again argued the renaming violates federal law establishing the center as a memorial to President John F. Kennedy.
Beyond the renaming and closure, Beatty continues to challenge internal governance changes, including a move to strip some trustees of voting rights, which her lawyers said violates the law governing the institution.
The new filing also pushes back on the government's arguments that Beatty lacks standing to sue, emphasizing her role as a trustee with legal obligations to protect the center.
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