This story originally appeared on 6abc.
The Philadelphia Art Museum alleges its former CEO, Sasha Suda, misappropriated funds and lied to cover it up before she was terminated earlier this month, according to a new court filing.
The filing, submitted Thursday in response to Suda’s wrongful termination lawsuit, claims she repeatedly asked for raises, and ultimately awarded herself three increases — two in 2024 and another in July 2025 — despite being told compensation changes required approval from the Board’s Compensation Committee.
“She never informed the Board of these increases because she knew the Board had ‘sole and absolute discretion’ over any increase to her compensation, and had denied her previous requests,” the museum stated in its filing.
The museum says that while Suda was interviewed by a special committee, she allegedly lied about her actions, claiming her subordinates had advised her she was entitled to receive these increases.
Suda, hired in 2022 on a $720,000 annual salary, was fired Nov. 4 following a 12-0 board vote. She contends her dismissal was baseless and alleges a “corrupt and unethical faction” of the board opposed her modernization efforts.