Sasha Suda joined the Philadelphia Art Museum in 2022 after departing her role as director and chief executive of the National Gallery of Canada.Hannah Yoon/The Globe and Mail
Sasha Suda, the Canadian museum director recently fired from the Philadelphia Art Museum amid allegations that she gave herself unsanctioned raises, has filed a raft of new documents that she says prove her salary increases were authorized and that she was the target of a “coup.”
Ms. Suda launched her initial legal complaint on Nov. 10, arguing that she was terminated after a “sham investigation” and resistance from board members as she tried to transform one of America’s premiere art institutions. The latest court documents – which were filed on Thursday and include text messages, e-mails and internal correspondence – were submitted in response to the museum’s attempt to force the matter to arbitration.
Ms. Suda, who is seeking a jury trial, accuses the museum of drumming up the allegations that she misappropriated funds. “The baseless narrative of financial misconduct was the pretext to remove Suda,” reads a memorandum filed by Ms. Suda’s lawyer, Luke Nikas.
A spokeswoman for the museum, Laura Coogan, declined to comment on the new filings. None of the allegations contained in the wrongful dismissal suit have been tested in court.
Ms. Suda joined the Philadelphia Art Museum in September, 2022, on a five-year contract after departing her role as director and chief executive of the National Gallery of Canada – a tenure that was also marked by controversy and saw the departure of dozens of staff.
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The Pennsylvania state court filings mark the latest salvo in a fight that has spilled into public view, placing fresh scrutiny on a museum that has in recent years confronted sexual-harassment claims, union disputes and financial challenges. Ms. Suda contends that her time at the museum was mired in dealings with a dysfunctional board.
Ms. Suda submitted screenshots of several text exchanges with the chair of the finance committee, John Alchin, which allude to tensions between Ms. Suda and former board chair, Leslie Miller. “Way too much she said/she said crap is floating around – I feel like I have to be overly diplomatic so that I’m not seen as in a power struggle with Leslie,” reads an August, 2023, text from Ms. Suda to Mr. Alchin.
When Ms. Suda began at the museum in 2022, she negotiated an annual base salary of US$720,000 – which the museum has described as a nearly fivefold increase from her salary at the helm of the gallery in Ottawa. The museum alleges that Ms. Suda repeatedly sought pay increases from the board’s compensation committee between 2023 and 2025, but despite its refusal to grant any such raises, “took the money anyway.”
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The museum’s court filing does not specify the size of the alleged improper pay increases. In her Nov. 10 wrongful dismissal suit, though, Ms. Suda said she received a 3-per-cent cost-of-living adjustment in line with what unionized staff had negotiated.
Ms. Suda’s submission contends that Mr. Alchin “maintained direct oversight over and worked collaboratively with Suda on budget matters,” and that her approach to salary schedules was discussed openly in committee meetings.
“All salary increases originated in the Museum’s Human Resources department, were budgeted and approved in advance, and were issued through letters on Museum letterhead, with copies to the Finance Committee,” the Dec. 11 memorandum states.
Sasha Suda introduces an exhibit in Ottawa on June 1, 2022, when she was CEO of the National Gallery of Canada.PATRICK DOYLE/The Canadian Press
The new documents include an e-mail chain from March, 2023, in which the museum’s chief financial officer tells the director of human resources that she was “trying to figure out what increase sasha might be entitled to in FY24.” The e-mail continues: “I will budget her with a 3% increase … Prior to finalizing I will check with John Alchin or Leslie to make sure they are comfortable.”
The HR director responded to the CFO saying this “sounds good.” According to the exhibit, the CFO then sent an e-mail to someone else saying, “Sasha’s comp [is] $720k. For budgeting purposes, please assume a 3% increase …”
The new filing also includes an August, 2025, letter from the HR department, in which Ms. Suda was informed that her salary would rise from US$749,087 to US$771,560, with a footnote showing the document was copied to finance.
In making a case that a faction of the board was looking for a way to push her out, Ms. Suda says the board chair, Ellen Caplan, requested a “360-degree review” of her job performance in the fall of this year. That process didn’t seek input from at least two of her “strongest supporters,” Ms. Suda claims, despite the fact that she had received “a glowing internal performance review” a short time before.
The documents filed Dec. 11 include that positive performance review, which appears to be a self-assessment in which Ms. Suda laid out her key objectives and progress in detail. The 360-degree review is not included in the filing.