The abrupt firing of Sasha Suda as CEO of the Philadelphia Museum of Art is a case study in how a board should not act. And it’s a stark reminder of the trust the public places in nonprofit boards — trust to ensure institutions follow the law and uphold the highest ethical standards.
Here is what we know, from reporting in The New York Times, The Philadelphia Inquirer, The Art Newspaper, and Philadelphia Magazine:
- At 9:03 AM on a November morning, Suda — just three years into a five-year contract — received an email informing her she was being terminated “for cause.” The email added that the board wished her “every success” in future endeavors.
- Suda is a Canadian citizen working in the U.S. on a visa — so the firing potentially jeopardizes her immigration status.
- A number of board members had recently attacked PMA’s new branding campaign — and some publicly claimed surprise that the campaign was launched at all. Trustee Yoram Wind said: “We had expected to see it after the board gave feedback… And it was launched, so we were as surprised as everyone else.”
This firing did not occur in a vacuum. Recent PMA history paints a troubling institutional picture:
- The prior director retired under a cloud after a mishandled sexual-misconduct case. The implicated employee quietly departed and was later fired from another museum when the truth emerged.
- Former PMA director Timothy Robb issued a public apology for his failure to act decisively in that situation.
- Philadelphia’s former mayor — and two state senators — publicly demanded stronger internal policies and accountability.
- Not long after Suda arrived, PMA’s unionized staff went on strike over leadership and workplace culture.
The Basics of Governance — and How They Were Ignored
A nonprofit board absolutely has the right to fire its CEO. But how it does so matters — legally, financially, reputationally, ethically.
Museum leadership contracts spell out causes for termination: illegality, misconduct, public acts harming the institution, etc. Typically, CEOs are granted time to respond or cure alleged violations.
Here, Suda learned only that she was fired “for cause.” No specifics. And according to the NYT, the board itself was set to meet later that morning “to be advised on what, exactly, the cause is.”
Think about that. The museum fired its top executive before the board even discussed the justification.
This exposes the PMA to real risk:
- Lawsuits for breach of contract and damages to Suda’s reputation.
- Attorney fees likely in the hundreds of thousands.
- Donor concerns about governance competence.
- A chilling effect on recruiting a qualified successor.
And the manner of the firing — an impersonal email, followed by immediate press coverage — comes across as petty, panicked, and unprofessional. It echoes the reckless Friday-afternoon ouster of the CEO of Newfields in Indianapolis in 2022.
If this is how arts leaders are treated, who in their right mind would take the job?
A Board’s Highest Duty: Stewardship and Values
Museums are not corporations with a product to sell. They exist — with public benefit status — to preserve culture, share knowledge, and uphold ethics in the communities they serve.
A board’s responsibility is not just finances and legal compliance. It is ethical leadership:
- Fair pay and equitable workplaces.
- Honesty and integrity in scholarship and exhibitions.
- Protecting the institution’s reputation — not damaging it.
By firing Suda publicly, abruptly, and without clear cause, PMA’s trustees have:
- Undermined the museum’s brand — which is an institutional asset
- Created avoidable legal liability
- Made future recruitment significantly harder
- Reinforced a narrative of ongoing ethical failure
At a moment when museums nationally face financial strain, labor tension, cultural responsibility, and shifting public expectations, the PMA needed calm, principled governance.
It got chaos instead.
We Deserve Better
We may never fully learn the truth behind the firing — unless litigation forces it into the open. But we do know this: it could have been handled with dignity. Even a no-cause firing can preserve a leader’s career and the museum’s integrity.
The Philadelphia Museum of Art approaches its 150th anniversary as a civic treasure. Its trustees must decide whether they want the next 150 years defined by stability, transparency, and values — or by avoidable spectacle and internal mistrust.
Boards are expected to protect the institution. In this case, the board itself has become the risk.
James Abruzzo, Vice Chairman,
DHR GLobal
Recognized national expert in nonprofit contract negotiations.