MMFA says it was ‘fully aware’ firing chief curator Nathalie Bondil would spark outcry

The board of directors at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts (MMFA) is standing by its contentious dismissal of chief curator Nathalie Bondil following a wave of backlash and the Quebec government ordering an external investigation into the situation.

In a statement issued Monday, the board said it was “fully aware of the outcry the decision would elicit” when it cut ties with Bondil, who also served as the museum’s director-general. She was played a key role in the MMFA’s success, the board added.

“The success the museum has enjoyed since she took office, and the institution’s enviable position among the world’s major museums are largely due to Ms. Bondil’s enormous talent — this talent is undeniable, and the board recognizes it,” the board said.

“However, the board could not ignore the findings of the report it had commissioned from an independent firm specializing in human resources management.”

Bondil’s contract came to a swift end on July 13 following what the museum described as “disturbing testimonies from employees reporting an obvious deterioration in its workplace climate.”

The decision came after a report commissioned by Cabinet HR brought attention to a workplace environment some employees described as “toxic,” according to the MMFA. The board has said it negotiated in good faith with Bondil over her contract, but Bondil allegedly rejected their proposal.

Bondil, for her part, has claimed she was fired for being “nitpicky” and said she believes she was dismissed because she did not endorse the board’s appointment of Mary Dailey-Desmarais as director of conservation.

The allegations have resulted in Quebec Culture and Communications Minister Nathalie Roy calling for an external probe to look into the management and board of directors.

In the statement issued Monday, the board of directors said some people have accused it of “concealing the real reasons” for Bondil’s firing, while others have questioned the board and its chairs’ motives.

The board also said it has received demands that it make public the report into workplace culture, but said it “is impossible given the legal constraints designed to safeguard the confidentiality of those involved.”

“It was difficult to remain silent and insensitive to these insinuations,” the board said.

The statement goes on to say it supports the Quebec government’s move to look into the museum’s supervision, which “will allow everyone to step back from the heightened emotions of the past week.”

The museum has also launched its search to hire a new director to replace Bondil.

— With files from Global News’ Alessia Simona Maratta and the Canadian Press