A former senior employee of the DuSable Black History Museum and Education Center is suing the museum and its CEO over alleged financial misconduct, harassment and failures in oversight that she says led to her termination.
The whistleblower lawsuit, filed last week in Cook County Circuit Court by Dr. Kim Dulaney, accuses DuSable’s leadership of diverting restricted grant money, a potentially serious violation for a 501(c)(3) nonprofit if proven in court. It also alleges that the museum’s board and HR department failed to investigate complaints about a hostile workplace environment. The lawsuit represents an escalation of concerns that Dulaney says she first raised internally in 2022.
The museum receives funding from multiple public sources, including the City of Chicago and the Chicago Park District tax levy, as well as private institutions like the MacArthur Foundation, the University of Chicago and the Institute of Museum and Library Services.
“Dr. Dulaney is a retired professor of African American Studies, an advocate for truth in education, and a respected leader in our community,” said her attorney, Justin DeLuca of Ellis Legal P.C. “When she witnessed practices she believed undermined DuSable Museum’s mission and violated the public trust, she did what ethical leaders are expected to do: she spoke up.”
DuSable spokesperson Raymond Ward did not respond to requests for comment. Irmer did not respond to detailed questions sent by the Herald.
Dulaney joined DuSable in...
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