Sasha Suda has sued the Philadelphia Art Museum after being dismissed last week as director and CEO of the Pennsylvania institution, according to the New York Times.
The suit, which ARTnews reviewed, alleges that Suda was accused by board members of “misusing Museum funds for personal gain,” something that appears to have been a component of an investigation initiated by the museum’s board of trustees prior to her dismissal.
Suda was investigated prior to her dismissal as director and CEO last week, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer. The nature of the investigation remains unclear, as does the unspecified “cause” that was mentioned in an email to Suda that reportedly confirmed her ouster. Her suit appears to confirm that there was an investigation—albeit one that Suda calls a “sham.”
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Before the Times article published, the Inquirer reported that it had confirmed the existence of an investigation into Suda with Mark E. Rubenstein, a member of the board’s executive committee. Rubenstein said the investigation was “serious,” according to the Inquirer, telling the publication, “A board of this stature doesn’t part ways with someone unless it’s a serious matter.”
Citing an unnamed source close to Suda, the Inquirer reported that one component of the investigation centered around Suda’s salary. According to a 2024 tax return from the museum, Suda’s salary was just under $729,000 in 2023. That salary puts her among the most highly paid museum leaders in the country. That source also said that Suda was given the option to resign but declined.
Per the Inquirer, Suda obtained an increase of $39,000 across a two-year period. The increase was “authorized” and related to cost of living, the source told the Inquirer. The $39,000 figure is also mentioned in the complaint, which alleges that the investigation involved a law firm looking at “expenses that had already been cleared by the head of audit, Board-sponsored club memberships, and travel costs incurred for events where Suda stayed near trustees for the benefit of the Museum.”
The suit goes on to claim that the “final straw” was a disagreement over a an alleged attempt by board chair Ellen Caplan to bring on Melissa Heller, a lobbyist, as a trustee. The suit reportedly claims that Suda found Heller “abrasive” and “not a cultural fit for a board that needed collaboration and stability.” Caplan allegedly then rallied other board members against Suda, who claimed that she found that she was dismissed while she leading an event for international museum leaders. Suda said she was fired “without a valid basis.”
The Times published its article after the Inquirer report and said that Suda’s lawsuit was filed in Pennsylvania state court.
Luke Nikas, a lawyer for Suda, said in a statement to ARTnews, “A small cabal of trustees commissioned a sham investigation to create a pretext for Ms. Suda’s termination. Ms. Suda fought for and believed in a museum that would serve Philadelphia and its people, not the egos of a handful of trustees. She is proud of her work and looks forward to presenting the truth.”
A Philadelphia Art Museum spokesperson did not immediately respond to request for comment.
Thus far, the museum’s only official comment on Suda’s dismissal has been a statement to the Inquirer: “The top priority for the board of trustees is to continue supporting the incredible work of the Art Museum staff as we prepare for the year ahead and our 2026 programming. As this is an internal matter, we will not be providing further comment at this time.”
Suda’s ouster last week came as a surprise to many. She had joined the museum just three years earlier, having led the National Gallery of Canada before that.
Almost from the start, Suda faced pushback from unionized workers at the museum, who began striking not long after she got there. In the suit, she alleges that Leslie Anne Miller, the museum’s former board chair and a current trustee, “told Suda that she would be excluded from the union negotiations,” which reportedly dragged on well after the strike ended.
Before her dismissal, the museum rebranded itself, switching from its longtime name of the Philadelphia Museum of Art to the Philadelphia Art Museum. Its new acronym, PhArt, and the ado made about such a slight name change were mocked by many observers.
An Inquirer report that ran less than 24 hours before her dismissal featured interviews with board members who said they were not properly informed about the rebranding. One trustee said he was “surprised” and that he had not seen a final version of the plan before it was implemented.
The lawsuit does not mention the rebrand and refers to the museum by its former name throughout.
Update, 11/10/25, 12:30 p.m.: After this article was initially published, Suda reportedly sued the Philadelphia Art Museum. This article has been updated to reflect this.
