Federal Judge Orders National Park Service to Reinstall Slavery Exhibits Removed from Philadelphia’s President’s House

A federal judge has mandated that the National Park Service reinstall 34 historical exhibits and educational panels on slavery that were removed from the President’s House site at Independence National Historical Park in Philadelphia. The order, issued by U.S. District Judge Cynthia Rufe, a George W. Bush appointee, follows a preliminary injunction granted to the city of Philadelphia after the National Park Service took down the displays on January 22.

The panels detailed the lives of nine enslaved individuals 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 assertion that it could unilaterally alter the site’s historical interpretation. “As if the Ministry of Truth in George Orwell’s ‘1984’ now existed, 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,” Rufe wrote.

The court found Philadelphia had standing to sue due to decades of cooperative agreements with the Interior Department governing preservation and interpretation of the park. Under a 1948 federal statute, such agreements require that “no changes or alterations shall be made in the property within the Independence Hall National Historic Site, including its buildings and grounds … except by mutual agreement.”

Rufe concluded the National Park Service did not seek or obtain Philadelphia’s agreement before removing the exhibits, despite long-standing contractual obligations. “The removal of the President’s House displays invaded this legally protected interest,” she wrote, finding the city’s injury “concrete, particularized, and actual.”

The court also ruled Philadelphia is likely to succeed on its claim that the agency’s action was “arbitrary and capricious” under the Administrative Procedure Act. Rufe noted the National Park Service offered no evidence it considered its prior interpretive framework or its governing Foundation Document, which identifies the “Paradox of Freedom and Slavery” as central to the park’s mission.

The government had cited a March 27, 2025, executive order by President Donald Trump titled “Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History,” directing Interior Secretary Doug Burgum to ensure federal monuments do not contain content that “inappropriately disparage Americans past or living.” However, Rufe stated the executive order requires action “consistent with applicable law” and does not authorize agencies to disregard statutory mandates or cooperative agreements.

“It is not disputed that President Washington owned slaves,” the court wrote, rejecting any suggestion of historical inaccuracy. Rufe also faulted the agency for failing to provide a reasoned explanation for what she described as a “sharp turnaround” in policy.

On separation-of-powers grounds, Judge Rufe emphasized Congress had specifically limited the authority of the Interior Department and National Parks Service to unilaterally alter or control the park. “The agencies do not have the authority to flout that Congressional directive,” she stated.

Rufe concluded each visitor who does not learn about founding-era slavery at the site receives a false account of American history. The injunction requires the government to reinstall all removed panels and exhibits, and to prevent further changes absent a mutual written agreement with Philadelphia. The order remains in effect pending further litigation.