The Washington National Opera has filed a lawsuit seeking more than $17 million from the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, alleging the institution has refused to turn over funds that belong to the opera company following their separation earlier this year.

According to a lawsuit filed Thursday in the United States Court of Federal Claims and reported on Friday by The New York Times, the opera company claims the Kennedy Center has withheld money that includes endowment assets, donor contributions, and other funds collected on the opera’s behalf during the years the two organizations were affiliated.

“W.N.O. reluctantly files this case to preserve its future and to protect its donors and artists,” attorneys for the opera company wrote in court filings. The suit further argues that the disputed funds consist of donations accumulated over many years that are “critical” to the organization’s continued operations.