Philadelphia Art Museum court filings accuse former Canadian director of theft

Sasha Suda introduces an exhibit in Ottawa on Wednesday, June 1, 2022, when she was CEO of the National Gallery of Canada. THE CANADIAN PRESS/ Patrick Doyle

The Philadelphia Art Museum is accusing its former Canadian director of stealing funds through unauthorized pay increases, and then lying about it.

Court documents filed on behalf of the museum deny claims in Sasha Suda’s wrongful dismissal suit as “meritless” and “delusional” and argue the museum had cause to end the five-year agreement early.

It wants the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas to move the matter into confidential arbitration, instead of a jury trial sought by the Orillia, Ont.-born Suda, who is seeking two years of severance pay and other damages.

It says Suda negotiated an annual salary of US$720,000 in an agreement signed in June 2022, when she left her post as director of the National Gallery of Canada where she earned approximately US$147,000.

The petition, filed Nov. 20, says Suda was told not to expect more money but repeatedly asked the board’s compensation committee to approve pay increases, which were refused. It alleges Suda took the money anyway, violating her contract.

Suda’s suit, filed Nov. 10, claims she was fired after a “sham investigation” into “pre-cleared” expenses and a “proper” three-per cent cost-of-living increase that was “consistent with standard practice.”

It said the hike amounted to US$39,000 over two years.

None of the allegations have been tested in court.

The museum said it would not comment further.

In an emailed statement, Suda’s lawyer dismissed the museum’s account as false and accused it of trying to “to hide the sordid details about its unlawful treatment of Sasha Suda in a confidential arbitration.”

“If the museum had nothing to hide, it would not be afraid to litigate in state court where we filed the case,” said Luke Nikas, a partner with the New York firm Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan, LLP.

Suda’s U.S. stint ended prematurely when the museum released a terse statement announcing she was no longer director and CEO as of Nov. 4.

The museum’s petition alleges an extensive investigation aided by the former acting U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of New York found Suda misappropriated funds and lied to cover it up, in violation of her employment agreement.

It also deems the lawsuit’s account to be “delusional allegations of victimhood and persecution.”

“Suda has compounded this self-inflicted damage by filing a public complaint laden with false, dishonest, and irrelevant allegations in a baseless attempt to blame others for her misconduct,” it reads.

“Her purpose is obvious: she hopes that by publicizing false allegations against the museum and its directors, officers, and employees, the museum will be extorted into awarding her a severance she has no right to receive.”

Before joining the National Gallery in 2019 as director and CEO, Suda was curator of European art and the Elliott Chair of Prints & Drawings at the Art Gallery of Ontario.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 25, 2025

Cassandra Szklarski, The Canadian Press