Philadelphia Art Museum doubles down on arbitration in response to Sasha Suda’s push for a trial
In its latest filing, the museum has asked the court to stay legal proceedings until the matter involving the firing of its former director is resolved in arbitration.
The Philadelphia Art Museum has reiterated its position in court that a dispute with ousted director and CEO Sasha Suda should be resolved through arbitration.
Suda, who was fired Nov. 4 three years into a five-year contract, was ousted following an investigation by a law firm, the museum said soon after. On Nov. 10, Suda sued the museum over her dismissal, and has pushed for a trial by jury in the matter.
Later that month, museum trustees fired back at her lawsuit and said she was dismissed after the investigation determined that she “misappropriated funds from the museum and lied to cover up her theft.”
Her contract with the museum stated that “any and all claims or controversies” against the museum should be pursued in “private, confidential arbitration.” But in a filing this month Suda argued that her contract contained “an explicit exception” to the arbitration provision.
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But “Suda has no credible response to the museum’s commonsense reading” of her employment contract, the museum said in a Dec. 19 Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas filing by the museum. The nearly 150-year-old organization is represented by lawyers from Philadelphia’s Cozen O’Connor and Washington, D.C. firm Kellogg, Hansen, Todd, Figel & Frederick.
“Arbitration clauses are interpreted literally, but not foolishly,” the new filing argues.
It asks the court to enter an order compelling Suda to submit to arbitration, and to stay legal proceedings until the matter is resolved in arbitration.
On Nov. 21, the museum named former Haverford College president and Metropolitan Museum of Art leader Daniel H. Weiss as new director and CEO.