WASHINGTON — The Washington National Opera (WNO) has filed a lawsuit against the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, alleging that the institution has improperly withheld more than $17 million in donor gifts, endowment funds and other contributions intended for the opera company, according to court filings and statements released on Friday.
The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. Court of Federal Claims on Thursday, seeks the return of funds that WNO says were collected and managed by the Kennedy Center during a long-standing affiliation between the two organizations that ended in January. The opera company is also seeking an accounting of money it says belongs to WNO.
In a statement cited in the complaint, WNO said the funds represented years of support from donors who intended their contributions to benefit the opera’s performances, artists and educational programs.
“These funds represent years of gifts from loyal supporters who gave specifically to advance WNO’s mission,” the company said. “WNO has a fiduciary responsibility to its donors to ensure their contributions are honored and used as intended.”
According to the complaint, WNO and the Kennedy Center maintained a formal affiliation for roughly 15 years under agreements that left the opera company as a separate legal entity while the center managed certain financial and operational functions. The opera alleges that after the relationship deteriorated and was terminated earlier this year, the Kennedy Center failed to transfer funds held for WNO’s benefit.
The lawsuit further alleges that the Kennedy Center used a portion of the funds as collateral for its own line of credit, a claim based on communications referenced in the complaint. The center has not publicly acknowledged that allegation.
The Kennedy Center rejected the claims. Spokeswoman Roma Daravi described the lawsuit as “meritless” and said the institution would defend itself. The center has argued that its exclusive relationship with WNO had imposed significant financial burdens over many years and said officials engaged in discussions aimed at resolving outstanding issues.
The dispute follows the organizations’ separation in January after decades of collaboration at the Kennedy Center. Both sides have previously cited financial and operational disagreements in explaining the split.
As of Saturday, no court ruling had been issued. The case remains pending in the U.S. Court of Federal Claims, and details of any future hearings were not immediately available.
