Papers Sue NEA to Open Doors

The Los Angeles Times, the New York Times, the Washington Post and the Philadelphia Inquirer on Monday sued the National Endowment for the Arts and its advisory board to force them to open a series of upcoming meetings concerning a number of potentially controversial grants.

The council voted at its May meeting to open future discussions of grant deliberations to the press and public. However, the date for the implementation of that policy was not specified, and the decision was left to the discretion of NEA Chairman John E. Frohnmayer.

The decision not to open this week’s meeting was taken by Frohnmayer on behalf of the 24-member National Council on the Arts. The action means that the council would hold an even larger proportion of its deliberations in private than normal when it meets Friday-Sunday in Washington.

The newspapers also filed a temporary restraining order against the 24-member National Council on the Arts to block the closed- door meeting and to force the council to allow press coverage, said attorney Patrick J. Carome.

U.S. District Court Judge Royce C. Lamberth is scheduled to hold a hearing Wednesday on the legal actions, which were filed in Washington, D.C.

Sources, who requested anonymity, said the council is expected to debate a decision by Frohnmayer to deny fellowship grants to four performance artists.