Two months after accusing Chicago’s DuSable Black History Museum and Education Center of misappropriating public funds and other offenses, Kim Dulaney, its former vice president of education and programs, has filed a whistleblower and retaliatory discharge lawsuit.
Dulaney filed a complaint with the Cook County Circuit Court on December 1, alleging wrongful termination following her repeated criticisms of the museum’s operations under CEO and president Perri Irmer. The lawsuit was first reported by Chicago-based news outlet the Triibe.
Dulaney, who had served as vice president of education and programs since 2022, was terminated on October 3 by Irmer, who described the dismissal as part of institutional restructuring. According to a statement from Dulaney’s legal team, in the year leading up to her firing, she had repeatedly flagged concerns to Dusable’s HR “regarding alleged misuse of restricted funds, improper financial practices, and workplace misconduct to DuSable leadership, its Board of Directors, and multiple government agencies.”
The lawsuit accuses Irmier and the museum of violating the Illinois Whistleblower Act and of retaliatory discharge, and seeks reinstatement, back pay, front pay, compensatory damages, punitive damages, civil penalties under the Illinois Whistleblower Act, as well as attorney fees. Additionally, it seeks injunctive relief, meaning a court order that would prevent the museum from committing further alleged violations.
In a statement made to Chicago Crusader, the museum said, “The allegations made by Kim Dulaney on October 7 are outrageous and categorically false.” It continued: “The DuSable Black History Museum and Education Center maintains strict financial controls, conducts regular audits, and is subject to oversight by both internal and external parties to ensure that all funds are used appropriately and in full compliance with applicable laws, regulations, and grant requirements.”
The decision to end Dulaney’s employment, the statement continued, “followed a thorough and fair review process, conducted in accordance with our established policies and procedures.”
ARTnews has contacted the institution for comment.
The DuSable Museum was founded in Chicago in 1961, and is considered one of the oldest public museums in the country dedicated to African American visual art, with a rich collection of historic works, artifacts, and documents. Its prestige belies a reportedly tumultuous few years, including high staff turnover and financial difficulties.
In 2017 Leslie Guy, former chief curator at the museum, filed a lawsuit in Cook County against the museum after her termination. As first reported by Crusader, her lawsuit was settled. In the complaint, Guy alleged that guest curators and vendors had not been paid. Moreover, she claimed that “various grants and other donor funds reserved for specific projects were depleted and being misspent on other Museum functions despite … grant requirements and without prior approval of the various grant donors.”
