Philanthropist sues park for $800,000 in donation row over son’s memorial

Stay up to date with notifications from The IndependentNotifications can be managed in browser preferences.AllNewsSportCultureLifestyleDonor who gave $2 million to Kentucky park sues after learning playground was not named after her son (Lex18)A Texas philanthropist, Susan Naylor, has initiated a lawsuit against Gatton Park in Kentucky, seeking the return of $800,000 after alleging a breach of a donation agreement concerning the naming rights for a water feature. Naylor, president of the Will Smith Foundation, had pledged $2 million to the park project in memory of her son, William Naylor Smith, who died at age eight, claiming the park failed to properly recognise her gift. The lawsuit alleges that despite a contract stipulating specific signage, the final water attraction, currently labelled 'Waterplay', omits her son's name, and an early version of the dedication sign was 'hastily painted over and covered'. Naylor expressed disappointment over the design and her exclusion from key events, requesting a refund in May 2025, which Gatton Park refused, citing a clause that donations are 'irrevocable and non-refundable'. Gatton Park maintains it has 'fully complied with its commitments' and that signage followed a strict uniform design, noting that Naylor missed a 2025 payment, which could allow the park to revoke naming rights. In fullDonor who gave $2 million to Kentucky park sues after learning playground was not named after her sonThank you for registeringPlease refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in

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