The chief operating officer of Atlanta’s High Museum of Art has resigned after an internal investigation found that approximately $600,000 was allegedly misappropriated over several years and the matter was referred to federal prosecutors, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Brady Lum, who had served as COO since 2019, tendered his resignation on Dec. 9 amid the probe. On Tuesday, the board of the Woodruff Arts Center, which oversees the High, voted to refer the matter to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia for possible criminal prosecution, the newspaper reported.
Woodruff Arts Center President and CEO Hala Moddelmog told the AJC that Lum allegedly misappropriated the funds over a period of three to four years. The organization believes he acted alone, she said.
The Woodruff board approved Atlanta law firm King & Spalding to refer the case to federal authorities. The organization also retained the firm and an independent forensic accountant to conduct a review after financial irregularities were discovered in early December, according to the AJC.
Moddelmog said the alleged misconduct will not affect operations at either the High Museum or the Woodruff Arts Center and that both institutions remain financially stable. She added that the organization intends to pursue restitution.
The High Museum, located on Peachtree Street in Midtown Atlanta, is the largest museum for visual art in the Southeast and operates under the Woodruff Arts Center, which also includes the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and Alliance Theatre. The Woodruff reported $131.5 million in revenue in fiscal year 2024, up from $99.8 million the previous year, according to IRS filings cited by the newspaper.
Lum was hired in February 2019. According to the Woodruff’s 2024 Form 990, he was paid $312,374 that fiscal year, making him the organization’s fifth-highest-paid employee. In fiscal year 2023, he earned $298,044.
Woodruff officials said they have begun notifying donors and emphasized that the alleged misconduct involved a single individual.
