The Kennedy Center laid off more than a dozen employees on Friday as its main building remains closed amid ongoing legal disputes and management upheaval following former President Donald Trump’s takeover of the institution in February 2025. Multiple sources familiar with the matter confirmed the layoffs, which affected senior staff including the center’s top spokesperson, Roma Daravi, and the head of board relations, Joe LaFauci, as well as personnel in marketing, communications, and IT.
At least nine of the 14 employees dismissed had been hired after Trump assumed control, according to their LinkedIn profiles. The layoffs come shortly after the resignation of Donna Arduin, the center’s chief financial officer since early 2025, marking further changes in upper management amid ongoing financial and operational challenges.
The Kennedy Center’s board, now chaired and influenced by Trump, voted last Tuesday to close the main building immediately for about two years of renovations. The closure took effect the same day and has prevented public access since. However, there has been disagreement about the timing and authority for the shutdown. While the board and Trump confirmed the immediate closure, U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper indicated that his consent was required before the center could proceed with the extended renovation plan.
Executive Director Matt Floca, speaking separately from the board, attributed the building’s closure to pressing safety concerns. Floca ordered the temporary shutdown of most public areas for seven days citing acute structural risks, including a recent incident where ceiling plaster fell approximately 60 feet into the Grand Foyer during a storm on September 4. Additional problems include water damage, corrosion, and general deterioration of the aging facility.
Financial difficulties continue to plague the center. Internal projections have revealed a large shortfall against the fiscal year’s revenue targets. By May, the center anticipated collecting approximately $124 million out of a budgeted $220 million, resulting in an expected deficit of $23 million despite ongoing cost-cutting measures.
The leadership installed by Trump attributes these financial and maintenance issues to mismanagement by previous administrations and argues that their intervention is essential for the institution’s revival. Trump reiterated his position on Friday from the Oval Office, accompanied by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., his nephew, defending the administration’s role in saving and renovating the center and emphasizing a perceived bipartisan legacy in the institution’s new direction.
In response to continued litigation, Justice Department attorneys representing the Kennedy Center filed a motion on Friday night requesting Judge Cooper’s approval for the board’s plan to carry out the two-year closure. Meanwhile, the center operates with a significantly reduced workforce after over 100 employees resigned or were dismissed since Trump’s takeover, including many leaders of critical departments and artistic disciplines.
The Kennedy Center has not publicly commented on the recent layoffs or management changes, and several affected staff declined to comment. The institution’s future remains uncertain as it navigates legal, financial, and operational challenges amid a highly contested transition in leadership.