A judge in Washington has ruled that the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts must compensate jazz musician Chuck Redd with over $250,000 in legal fees. This decision follows a previous ruling by Judge Tanya Jones Bosier of the District of Columbia Superior Court, who dismissed the center’s lawsuit against Redd for breach of contract.

In 2025, Redd, a renowned American drummer and vibraphonist, withdrew from his longstanding role as the host of the center’s annual free Christmas Eve concert in protest of the controversial decision to include Donald Trump’s name on the building’s exterior. Redd’s lawyer, Lisa J. Banks, stated that the lawsuits filed by the Trump Administration were baseless and politically motivated.

For years, Redd had been a fixture at the center’s Christmas Eve concerts. However, last year, he pulled out of the event at the last minute after Trump’s name was unveiled on the building. The Kennedy Center then threatened to sue Redd, claiming his withdrawal was intolerant and costly to the institution. The subsequent lawsuit was dismissed by the judge for failure to establish a valid breach of contract claim.

A federal judge ruled in May that the addition of Trump’s name to the Kennedy Center was unlawful. The conflict arose when Trump dismissed David Rubinstein, the longtime chair of the Kennedy Center’s board of trustees. Since then, several prominent figures in the arts and culture scene have distanced themselves from the center, including Canadian author Louise Penny, Shonda Rhimes, and Issa Rae.

The letters spelling out Trump’s name have since been removed from the Kennedy Center’s facade, with only the original name “The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts” remaining. The center plans to appeal the judge’s decision, while Redd’s legal team views the ruling as appropriate, denouncing the center’s attempt to suppress opposition to the name change.

The Kennedy Center, a renowned institution that hosts over 2,000 events annually and serves as the home of the National Symphony Orchestra and the Washington National Opera, continues to be embroiled in this contentious issue.