Rep. Joyce Beatty Challenges Kennedy Center Closure as Unlawful
Representative Joyce Beatty, a Democrat from Ohio and ex officio member of the Kennedy Center board, has asked a federal judge to hold an emergency hearing over what she calls the unlawful closure of the performing arts facility by President Donald Trump and its board. The move is alleged to violate Judge Christopher Cooper’s prior order in U.S. District Court requiring responses to Beatty's legal request. Cooper ordered Trump and the Kennedy Center board, which he appointed himself to lead, to respond by Thursday morning after they voted earlier that week to close the center for renovations. Trump stated the closure would be delayed until a federal appeals court or Supreme Court rules on whether his name can be added back to the facility’s official title. Beatty's legal team claims the board is violating judicial orders and undermining the rule of law by proceeding with closures without approval from Cooper, who previously ruled that Trump’s name must be removed. The DOJ has appealed this decision but did not immediately respond for comment.
Topics: cultural_institutions government law