Swan Ball Alleges a 'Coup' at Cheekwood - Articles

All Content

Swan Ball Alleges a 'Coup' at Cheekwood

Posted by: Julia Wilburn on Jul 16, 2024

A lawsuit filed in federal court on July 9 alleges that Cheekwood Botanical Gardens orchestrated a “coup” over the past year to take over operations of the annual Swan Ball. The complaint says that when it became clear that Cheekwood was attempting to “assert control over the operations of the [planning] committee,” the board unanimously voted to formalize itself as a separate and autonomous nonprofit in May, reports the Nashville Banner. It also filed a federal trademark application for “Swan Ball,” which it argues should prevent Cheekwood from continuing to control it. With the exception of a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic, the Swan Ball has been put on every year since 1963 as a fundraiser for the Nashville nonprofit.