Ohio Rep. Joyce Beatty says she was muted for Kennedy Center renaming vote
www.dispatch.com

... The board of the iconic John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C., voted Dec. 18 to change the name to the "Trump-Kennedy Center," according to the White House.

But Ohio Rep. Joyce Beatty took to social media later in the day to say the vote was made without the input of all board members.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt announced the news on social media, saying the center's board voted unanimously in favor of the change.

Beatty, a Democrat who represents Ohio's 3rd Congressional District and serves as an ex officio member on the board, disputed the characterization of the vote in a video posted to Bluesky, saying she was repeatedly prevented from speaking during the meeting. Beatty's district is entirely contained within Franklin County, covering much of Columbus.

"Be clear, I was on that call, and as I tried to push my button to voice my concern, to ask questions, and certainly not to vote in support of this, I was muted," Beatty said. "Each time I tried to speak, I was muted."

What happened during the meeting?

Beatty said the meeting was held over Zoom and was not conducted in a traditional boardroom setting.

"The Zoom meeting was held in a home, and I can't tell you who was there physically in the room," Beatty said. "We never saw the individuals who were voting or who was even talking. That is definitely not normal."

Beatty said other participants attending remotely could hear her, but each time she attempted to unmute herself, the system automatically muted her again.

Though some board leaders described the vote to rename the Kennedy Center to the Trump-Kennedy Center as unanimous, Beatty said members who attended the meeting virtually were not allowed to voice objections before the vote. ...