Kennedy Center lawyers told staff to remove President Donald Trump's name from signage and documents by June 12 to comply with a federal judge's order.
An email from the Office of the General Counsel instructed staff to "Remove any references to the 'Trump-Kennedy Center' or 'The Donald J. Trump and the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts,' and instead revert to 'The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts' or 'the Kennedy Center' or 'the Center.'" The directive covers email signatures, letterhead, signage, brochures and website pages.
U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper ruled that the board had overstepped its authority and ordered the president's name removed from "the institution's title, as represented on the façade of the Center, any other physical or digital signage, and official materials." The ruling followed a lawsuit filed by Democratic Rep. Joyce Beatty of Ohio, a member of the Kennedy Center's Board of Trustees.
Cooper wrote that renovations to the arts center are "sorely needed," but said his preliminary injunction does not "categorically" bar the board from closing the Kennedy Center. "By way of this opinion, the Court does not purport to dictate how the Center should be run, nor does it prescribe any particular plan for the institution — construction, closure, or otherwise — moving forward," he wrote. "It simply holds the Kennedy Center Board to certain minimum requirements imposed by law. Beyond that, the Court will let the parties play on."
The memo to staff said center officials still are "considering their options and will provide further guidance shortly" on whether the center will remain open after July 5, when extensive renovations costing $257 million are set to begin.
In December, the Kennedy Center's board voted to change the performing arts institution's name to The Donald J. Trump and The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts; within hours the center's website was updated to read "The Trump Kennedy Center" and crews went to work adding Mr. Trump's name to the building's façade. Several artists canceled performances and the executive director of the National Symphony Orchestra left for a new job.
The email noted that the court gave the Center 14 days from May 29 to remove all references to the Center being named for anyone other than John F. Kennedy. Cooper also said the board's March decision to close the Kennedy Center for two years was based "on an insufficient, one-sided presentation of information and neglected to consider the full range of its statutory obligations." As of Thursday afternoon, Trump's name remained on the Kennedy Center exterior.