By Daily Mail (U.S.) | Created at 2026-06-10 17:50:42 | Updated at 2026-06-11 06:57:05
13 hours ago
A wealthy charity owner who donated $2 million to fund a children's park says she is outraged after officials didn't name the attraction in her son's memory.
Susan Naylor launched a lawsuit this month against officials in Town Branch, Kentucky, accusing them of violating an agreement to name a water play area in Gatton Park after her late son, Will Smith.
After her son died aged eight in a tragic car accident in June 2007 in Hawaii, Naylor went on to found a children's charity, the Will Smith Foundation, in his honor.
The charity has grown into a major Texas children's organization with almost $2 million in assets, and Naylor has appeared at events promoting her advocacy with celebrities including Dolly Parton.
She has funded many children's parks and events through the foundation for years, and said in May 2023 she was contacted by Town Branch Executive Director Allison Lankford to ask for a donation for Gatton Park.
She said the town executive offered the naming rights to the park's water play area in exchange for a donation, and Naylor agreed to a $2 million pledge paid in $400,000 installments.
But Naylor said after she donated $800,000, she received renderings of the park's renovations that showed the water area would only have a single sign reading 'WaterPlay.'
According to Naylor's lawsuit, she said her complaints about the park's name were dismissed by Lankford, who told her that the signage was basic to 'ensure consistency' throughout the park, per the lawsuit cited by WKYT.
She alleged that when a sign was eventually installed that noted the park was 'on behalf' of her son, it was later painted over after it was revealed to the public.
Susan Naylor, a wealthy charity owner and founder of the Will Smith Foundation for her deceased son (left), accused a Kentucky town of failing to name a park after him when she made a $2 million pledge to fund the attraction
In 2023, Naylor promised to pay $2 million over five years to fund Gatton Park (pictured) in Kentucky, but said she was left enraged when she saw renderings of the soon-to-be completed park
Signs for the park's water play area were revealed to only read 'WaterPlay' - despite Naylor saying she had a contract to name the area after her deceased son
Naylor's attorney Andre Regard said the charity chief has been left furious by the naming rights fiasco, alleging she was conned out of $800,000 for city officials to go back on their word.
Regard said Naylor and city officials signed a contract that would give her rights to name the water park directly after her son, and stipulated that she would be consulted on how signs would be displayed.
He said the city publicly communicated that the park would be named after Naylor's son for over two years after she signed the contract in 2023, but alleged that their final plans failed to live up to expectations.
'She didn’t sign an agreement to an honorarium. She signed an agreement to a naming right,' Regard told WKYT.
He said Naylor's contract did not mention that the park's sign would read only 'WaterPlay', and said a second rendering showed the signs would read: 'WaterPlay with thanks to Susan Naylor, on behalf of her son William Naylor Smith.'
Regard said other areas of the park had signs named directly for donors, leaving Naylor enraged over why her son was not honored properly.
'To say this is a water park in honor of William Naylor or Will Naylor is different than saying this is, say, Will's Water Place,' he said.
'It sends a totally different message.'
Naylor's son Will Smith died aged eight in a tragic car accident in June 2007 in Hawaii
Naylor went on to found a children's charity, the Will Smith Foundation, in her son's memory, and she has funded many children's events and initiatives over the years (seen receiving a donation from Dolly Parton)
The Gatton Park play area was intended to pay tribute to Naylor's son for his love of water, but she said she has been left disappointed
'It’s almost like the difference between somewhat of a sad message - you know, ‘here is something in honor of somebody who is unfortunately deceased’ - versus something that’s uplifting,' he added.
Naylor added in her suit that she was not even invited to the park's groundbreaking ceremony despite her huge pledge.
She is now suing for a full refund of her donation.
In response to Naylor's lawsuit, a spokesperson for Gatton Park told WKYT that Naylor's allegations are 'wholly unfounded.'
'As has been communicated to Ms. Naylor on multiple occasions, Town Branch Park fully complied with its commitments in connection with her donation,' the spokesperson said.
'The allegations in the Complaint are wholly unfounded, and they will be vigorously defended in the courtroom.'
'Out of respect for the legal process, no further comment will be made at this time,' the spokesperson concluded.
