Legal Feud Expands for Future of Annual Swan Ball - Articles

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Posted by: Azya Thornton on Aug 21, 2024

The legal battle around the Swan Ball, a long-standing annual event benefiting Nashville's Cheekwood Estate and Gardens, is expanding with a countersuit from the estate against a group of volunteer event coordinators. Volunteers filed a lawsuit against Cheekwood in July accusing it of a "coup," saying the organization took control of an event that had always been volunteer-run. In a counterclaim, Cheekwood now accuses the volunteers of attempting to seize control of the ball and its trademark. The new filing also states that volunteers "attempted covertly to gain unauthorized access to Cheekwood's computers and files" earlier this year. The dispute has halted planning for the 2025 Swan Ball, according to the estate, while the volunteer group says it plans to move forward with the event next year with a new beneficiary. Axios Nashville has more on the story.