Appeals court questions Philadelphia’s authority to force the federal government to keep slavery exhibits
A federal appeals court is reviewing Philadelphia's lawsuit to restore a slavery exhibit at the President’s House, which is managed by the federal government. The Trump administration argues that the removal of the exhibit was a lawful curatorial decision. The appeals court panel questioned the city's authority to dictate the content of exhibits at a site not operated by them.
- ▪The exhibit focused on the nine slaves who lived at the President's House during George Washington's residency.
- ▪It was removed in January 2020 following a Trump administration directive to eliminate displays deemed to misrepresent American history.
- ▪The city of Philadelphia filed a lawsuit after a federal district court ordered the restoration of the exhibits.
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A federal appeals court sharply questioned lawyers for the city of Philadelphia on Tuesday over their lawsuit seeking to restore a slavery exhibit to the President’s House site in the city, which is operated by the federal government. A three-judge panel on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit heard arguments in a Trump administration appeal of a district court ruling that the Department of the Interior was not permitted to remove panels at the historic site that included references to slavery. Justice Department lawyer Gregory in den Berken, arguing on behalf of the Trump administration, claimed the decision was simply curating the exhibits at the National Park Service property, and that the federal government may choose how to emphasize different aspects of history.
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Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at Washington Examiner.
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