Kennedy Center lawyers tell staff to remove Trump's name by June 12
by Lisa Hornung · UPIJune 4 (UPI) -- The Kennedy Center ordered its staff Thursday to remove President Donald Trump's name from the center by June 12.
A memo was sent out from the center's general counsel that said they must remove all references from signs, brochures, websites, furniture and more, and that they must update email signatures and letterhead immediately.
On Friday, U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper ruled that the center's board had overstepped its authority when it voted to add Trump's name to the center. The memo was the first sign that the center plans to comply with the order.
"Congress gave the Kennedy Center its name, and only Congress can change it," Cooper said.
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Rep. Joyce Beatty, D-Ohio, filed a lawsuit on Dec. 23 against Trump and others alleging that the move was illegal.
Trump claimed that naming the center after him was a surprise, but the name was added to the sign the next day.
Justice Department lawyers representing Trump later said the speed of the move showed it had been "prepared and/or purchased prior to the Board's vote the day before," The Washington Post reported.
Thursday's memo also said officials were "considering their options and will provide further guidance shortly" on whether the center will close after July 5. The center was scheduled for two years of closure for a $257 million renovation.
In his decision, Cooper said the renovations are "sorely needed," and his ruling doesn't bar the board from closing "should it come to this decision anew after independently balancing its multiple obligations to the Center in a prudent fashion," CBS News reported.
"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."