Art Institute of Chicago president to return to work after probe into airplane incident
CHICAGO - The president of the Art Institute of Chicago will return to work on Monday following the conclusion of an investigation into his alleged conduct during a flight in April.
The Institute confirmed James Rondeau will return to his job after he voluntarily took time away from his role leading the Art Institute during the investigation.
LONDON, ENGLAND - FEBRUARY 13: James Rondeau, Director of the Art Institute of Chicago stands next to the iconic painting American Gothic, 1930 by Grant Wood, as it is installed at the Royal Academy of Arts ahead of the exhibition "America After The
What we know:
While the Institute never confirmed what happened, CBS News Chicago first reported that Rondeau allegedly stripped off his clothes during a Untied Airlines flight from Chicago to Munich on April 18.
The Art Institute said in a statement that after the independent probe was conducted, "Board leadership … is confident in James Rondeau’s leadership and ability to continue as the President and Director of the museum."
Rondeau also released a statement saying:
"I deeply regret this incident and the impact it has had on the museum and on my colleagues. I have dedicated the past 27 years of my professional career to the Art Institute and I am grateful to have the opportunity to continue furthering its mission."
The backstory:
Rondeau has served as president of the institute since 2016 and began his career there in 1998.
He has a salary of about $1 million, according to the institute’s tax documents.
The Art Institute of Chicago is one of the city’s most popular cultural attractions. Founded in 1879, it has a permanent collection featuring nearly 300,000 works of art.