The John F. Kennedy Presidential Library at UMass Boston reopened on Wednesday after abruptly closing its doors to the public on Tuesday.
Members of the Kennedy family say that the building was closed due to staffing cuts made by the Trump Administration.
WATCH ANYTIME FOR FREE
 |
Stream NBC10 Boston news for free, 24/7, wherever you are. |
The closure began around 2 p.m. on Tuesday. An employee leaving the library told NBC10 Boston that five employees, primarily based in the museum portion of the facility, were fired. A sign at the facility read, "Due to the executive order, the JFK Library will be closed until further notice."
Get updates on what's happening in Boston to your inbox. Sign up for our News Headlines newsletter.
It's unclear what exactly prompted this, but it came a week after Trump signed an executive order aimed to shrink the size of the federal workforce while limiting hiring to essential positions.
Members of the Kennedy family were outraged over the news on Tuesday.
"This is an incredibly important institution for our city, of course recognizing the history that has been made in Boston," Mayor Michelle Wu said. "We are going to work, follow their lead on what needs to be done to make sure they can be back open to the public."
Local
In-depth news coverage of the Greater Boston and New England area.
Officials with the library or National Archives have not confirmed the firings, however the nonprofit that supports the institution linked the closure to the firings.
"The sudden dismissal of federal employees at the JFK Library forced the museum to close today. As the Foundation that supports the JFK Library, we are devastated by this news and will continue to support our colleagues and the Library.
It appears that the JFK Library was the only one of 13 presidential libraries managed by the National Archives and Records Administration that was temporarily closed.
Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey blasted Trump and Elon Musk in a statement, blaming them for the closure.
"Donald Trump and Elon Musk's thoughtless crusade has caused an iconic institution and economic driver to close in Massachusetts. The JFK Library plays an essential role in our state and nation's history, our travel and tourism sector, and our economy. We hope that this closure will be temporary and urge President Trump and DOGE to reverse course so that the library can reopen to continue educating visitors and contributing to our economy," Healey's statement said.
Journalist Jack Schlossberg, a grandson of Kennedy's, said on social media that the closure was connected to Trump's order for all federal agencies to let go probationary staff members — ones who have been in their role for one or two years and whose civil service protections haven't kicked in.
Schlossberg said he'd worked with the library's "staff for decades and they are truly amazing."
