Two years after an investigation found Detroit Institute of Arts director Salvador Salort-Pons presided over an “autocratic” workplace, the museum’s accreditation is being challenged.
Nonprofit law firm Whistleblower Aid filed a complaint against the DIA in June, arguing it does not meet the criteria for reaccreditation through the American Alliance of Museums (AAM) due to multiple years of financial mismanagement, violation of employment law, race- and gender-based hiring, and retaliation against employees who speak out against museum leadership.
Whistleblower Aid also sent a letter to several Michigan officials including Governor Gretchen Whitmer and Attorney General Dana Nessel, alleging the DIA is in violation of multiple state employment and non-profit laws.
The DIA undergoes the reaccreditation process every 10 years to show that it “follows the highest standards of practice in the art museum industry,” according to an April 2022 newsletter. The museum began the process last November, which includes submitting several documents related to the institution’s mission, vision, and strategic goals, among others, as well as a site visit from AAM committee members. The application was scheduled for review in June.
Whistleblower Aid’s complaints stem from toxic workplace allegations by former employees in 2020 and a subsequent investigation. Leaked audio from a confidential meeting in November of 2020 between the DIA’s legal counsel, board of directors, and Washington...
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