Caroline Baumann, former director of the Cooper Hewitt design museum in Manhattan, has stepped down following allegations of a conflict of interest.
Baumann’s resignation was made public on 7 February, following an investigation by the general inspector of the Smithsonian.
She had worked with the museum since 2001 and was made director in 2013.
The museum is home to a range of modern examples of art and design, comparable to institutions like RISD.
Under Baumann’s tenure, the museum was given a $91 million renovation, which attracted donors and visitors alike.
The conduct investigation was raised by a member of staff who complained of Baumann’s so-called conflict of interest, with specific reference to her wedding in 2018.
Under the investigation were Baumann’s wedding attire and venue.
Agents from the inspector general’s office suggested that the cost of the dress had been discounted, with the director offering to promote the designer’s work.
Samantha Sleeper, the designer in question, contested this, stating that: “I did not give her a discount nor did she ask for a discount. She asked the price of the dress, I sent her an email and she paid me that amount.”
Indeed, she later emailed the inspector general’s office, concerned that the agents were biased against Baumann from the beginning of her interview.
The location of the wedding, held at LongHouse Reserve in East Hampton, also came under fire. Jack Lenor Larsen, a close friend of Baumann and owner of the Reserve, allowed Baumann to use the venue for free.
As the Smithsonian was created by Congress, it is in part funded by the federal government. In accordance with this, there is a conflict of interest policy which reads “Employees must not engage in private or personal activities that might conflict, or appear to conflict, with Smithsonian interests, such as using Smithsonian employment for private gain.”
Following Baumann’s abrupt ousting, six members of the Cooper Hewitt’s board of trustees, a distinct governing body to the Smithsonian overall, have stepped down in protest.
A number of the trustees have donated considerable sums to the museum of late, meaning that their departure will impact the finances of the museum.
The trustees have argued that they should have been consulted in Baumann’s resignation, with designer David Rockwell writing in his own letter of resignation that: "We all serve on the board because we share the principles of the institution and the values of its leadership,
"I cannot in good conscience continue on the board given how Caroline's dismissal was handled.”
This was supported by former board secretary, Judith Francis Zankel, who said that Baumann’s “treatment violates every principle of decency, and I feel that remaining on the board tacitly condones this behaviour. I cannot stay on the board and just shrug my shoulders and move on.”
