By STEVEN SLOAN<\/p>\n
WASHINGTON (AP) \u2014 A judge on Friday denied a request from the Kennedy Center to pause a ruling ordering President Donald Trump\u2019s name removed from building.<\/p>\n
Unless the Kennedy Center decides to appeal the decision from U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper, the decision raises the prospect that Trump\u2019s name will be removed from the building. In his ruling last month, Cooper said only Congress could institute a change to the Kennedy Center\u2019s name and ordered that references to Trump be removed by Friday.<\/p>\n
A Kennedy Center spokesperson didn\u2019t immediately comment on the ruling. Workers were seen building scaffolding around a section of the building that includes Trump\u2019s name.<\/p>\n
Last month, Cooper ruled Trump\u2019s name was illegally added to the iconic Washington performing arts facility. Late Thursday, Trump\u2019s handpicked board at the center mounted a last-minute effort to keep his name on the facade of the iconic performing arts facility but Cooper refused to stay his order.<\/p>\n
A June 4 memo to staff<\/a> from the Kennedy Center\u2019s Office of General Counsel said email signatures, letterhead and other documents must reflect the name as \u201cThe John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts\u201d or \u201cKennedy Center.\u201d<\/p>\n The Kennedy Center\u2019s website has dropped Trump\u2019s name. And an earlier email sent to members<\/a> offering ticket packages for the June 28 Mark Twain Award for American Humor ceremony came from the Kennedy Center without including Trump\u2019s name.<\/p>\n