Former Philadelphia Art Museum director sues after being ousted
The former director of the Philadelphia Art Museum, Sasha Suda, who was abruptly dismissed last week, filed a lawsuit on Monday claiming she was fired due to opposition from a “corrupt and unethical faction” of the museum’s board that resisted her modernization efforts.
Suda’s complaint, filed in Pennsylvania state court, asserts that she was terminated “without a valid basis” after negotiations over her departure reached an impasse. The museum’s board had said she was fired for cause. In the lawsuit, Suda is seeking a jury trial, requesting two years of severance pay, damages, and other relief. Her attorney, Luke Nikas, said Suda “fought for and believed in a museum that would serve Philadelphia and its people, not the egos of a handful of trustees” and looks forward to presenting her case in court. The museum declined to comment on the lawsuit.
The legal filing gives an unusual glimpse into disputes at one of the country’s major cultural institutions. Speculation about Suda’s dismissal has included a controversial rebranding campaign nicknamed “PhArt” and her emphasis on diversity, equity, and inclusion programs. In the lawsuit, Suda claims the firing stemmed from clashes with board members who sought to portray her as misusing museum funds. A compensation committee investigation into her expenses concluded she had been financially irresponsible and recommended she be given the option to resign, a claim she disputes.
Suda contends that her $39,000 cost-of-living adjustment over two years aligned with the museum’s union contract and similar adjustments for managers. She also notes that her 2023 compensation of roughly $760,000 was comparable to or below that of leaders at other museums of similar size. Suda, a Toronto native, became the museum’s director and chief executive in 2022, previously serving as the youngest director in the history of the National Gallery of Canada.
The lawsuit further states that Suda was blocked from reviewing a board-commissioned “cultural assessment” following misconduct allegations and was instructed to focus “forward, not backward” by board vice chair Osagie Imasogie. She faced early challenges with unionized employees but was credited with stabilizing operations, promoting diversity, overseeing exhibitions such as “The Time Is Always Now,” and raising millions in funds while cutting a $6 million deficit by two-thirds.
Suda claims her dismissal escalated over disagreements about a prospective trustee, Melissa Heller, whom board chair Ellen Caplan wanted to recruit despite Suda’s objections. The lawsuit alleges Caplan later rallied a small faction of board members against Suda, resulting in votes of confidence that eventually turned against her. Negotiations over her departure collapsed over nondisparagement and confidentiality agreements, which Suda argues disproportionately favored the museum and would have jeopardized her immigration status in the U.S.
Requests for comment from Caplan, Heller, and Imasogie were not immediately returned.
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