Former head of Cooper Hewitt museum comments on her resignation

Published by Alice Jaspars on February 25th 2020, 4:04pm

Following her resignation on 7 February due to an alleged conflict of interest surrounding her wedding, Caroline Baumann, the former head of the Cooper Hewitt design museum has provided a statement to Artnet News.

She wrote that: “The agent at the centre of this [investigation] used derogatory, sexist language; he was overtly discriminatory to me and to others and produced a sham report.”

Her resignation follows a conduct investigation, with concerns regarding her wedding raised by a member of staff who complained of Baumann’s so-called conflict of interest, with specific reference to her wedding in 2018.

Baumann had been accused of receiving a discount on her wedding dress and venue due to her position at the museum.

The Cooper Hewitt design museum is part of the Smithsonian, created by Congress. As such 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.”

Baumann stated that she was not provided with an opportunity to defend herself, nor to discuss the report.

Six members of the Cooper Hewitt museum resigned in protest of the decision.

Her lawyer, Luke Nikas, said that the “report contains frivolous accusations that we will easily disprove with the documents and the witnesses involved.”

Baumann wrote that her dismissal “is ripping the board and Cooper Hewitt apart. I appreciate the deep loyalty of the board, and it is painful for me to see the significant damage that is being done to what we’ve built over the last two decades.”

Share this article


Leaders of Great Britain

About Leaders of Great Britain

Leaders of Great Britain hosts a series of engaging events featuring prominent figures from the worlds of politics, sports, business, and entertainment. Our goal is for every attendee to leave these gatherings with profound leadership insights that transcend boundaries. Learn More.


Related Features


Authored By

Alice Jaspars
Culture Editor
February 25th 2020, 4:04pm

Follow Us

Follow @LeadersGBNI on Twitter for more live updates

Share this article


Popular Features

FEATURES | Published October 7th 2024, 4:04 pm

Margaret Ollivier: Ensuring Respect and Inclusivity at Expect Ltd

FEATURES | Published September 16th 2024, 11:11 am

Andrew Martin: Steering the Course of Planning and Development

FEATURES | Published July 26th 2024, 7:07 am

Paul Bowley: Transforming Lives with Abbeycare Group

© Copyright 2024, Leaders of Great Britain.