The legal tension between the Philadelphia Museum of Art and its former director Sasha Suda has escalated into the public sphere, marked by mutual accusations. While the museum claims that Suda retaliated through unauthorized salary increases, Suda argues that all allegations are baseless and that her dismissal was unjust.
Controversy continues to grow at the Philadelphia Museum of Art (PhAM). After former Director and CEO Alexandra Sasha Suda accused the institution of unlawfully terminating her, the museum issued a counterstatement. In its court filing, PhAM alleges that Suda improperly used institutional funds by awarding herself unauthorized raises.
In the lawsuit she filed on November 10, Suda claimed that the museum was being steered by a small, influential group, that the external audit conducted regarding her tenure was “fabricated,” and that she was advised to resign. In response, PhAM applied to the Philadelphia Common Pleas Court on November 20, requesting that the matter be moved to confidential arbitration. The museum stated that Suda’s allegations were “groundless,” noting that she had been dismissed only six days earlier.
Suda is seeking compensation for the remainder of her five-year contract, calculated based on an annual salary of $720,000 for two years. The museum, however, argues that her contract was terminated “for cause,” and therefore, no compensation is owed.
The Museum’s Allegations and Suda’s Defense
According to PhAM’s legal filing, Suda granted herself three salary increases between March 2024 and July 2025. The museum states that none of these raises were disclosed or approved by the board. The documents also allege that Suda unilaterally altered the salaries of several employees.
Suda’s legal team describes these accusations as a “false and misleading narrative.” Suda maintains that she declined the planned salary increase in her first year, but argues that a standard cost-of-living adjustment approved by the new chief financial officer in 2024 had been integrated into the budget and reviewed by the committee. Her attorney, Luke Nikas, contends that the museum is seeking arbitration in order to conceal its own institutional failures.
The museum’s board unanimously approved Suda’s dismissal on October 27, following an investigation conducted by an external law firm. According to the board, Suda was offered the option to resign in order to minimize public attention.
Parallel to this dispute, the museum had already reported another senior figure to the police over the summer. Former Director of Human Resources and Diversity Latasha Harling was investigated for allegedly making approximately $58,000 in personal expenditures using a company credit card. Harling reportedly agreed to repay part of the debt but failed to fulfill the terms of the agreement and was arrested in July on charges including “unlawful taking” and “theft by deception.”
