Nancy Yao, who had been chosen to serve as the founding director of the future Smithsonian American Women’s History Museum in Washington, DC, said she would not take on the role. Yao cited “family issues” as the reason for stepping down from the prestigious post. She was originally scheduled to assume leadership on June 5, but the start of her tenure was delayed following the revelation in April, in the Washington Postthat she had settled three wrongful dismissal lawsuits while serving as president of the Museum of Chinese in America (MoCA) in New York.
According to Job, the lawsuits stemmed from Yao’s firing of three employees who reported sexual harassment of young women working at MoCA in junior positions or as interns. Yao claimed the layoffs were due to budgetary pressures on the small museum, but the newspaper obtained audio of Yao speaking at a meeting regarding one of the layoffs in which she noted that the layoff did not had “nothing to do with [MoCA’s] financial situation,” further claiming, “We are doing really, really well. Upon learning the combinations, the Smithsonian hired an outside firm to explore further. The results of the investigation have not been made public.
During her eight years as president of MoCA, Yao raised the profile of the once-tiny institution and tirelessly raised funds on its behalf. The museum lost most of its vast archive of personal effects, artifacts and works of art reflecting Chinese-American heritage when a massive fire tore up the building they were stored in in 2020. A $118 million transformation of the MoCA’s Central Street space, designed by Maya Lin, is set to begin late this year. Yao in 2021 faced allegations that in order to make the renovation happen, she traded a $35 million concession from the city in return for MoCA’s “conniving support” of a nearby 29-story prison that critics say would not only serve a justice system targeting black and brown citizens, but would crowd out small businesses already struggling with the double burden of the Covid-19 crisis and anti-Asian sentiment. Among the protesters were members of the pioneering artist collective Godzilla, including a number got out of a planned exhibition at the MoCA, leading to its total cancellation. More artists took of their works from the museum’s collection.
THE New York Times pointed out that Yao’s fundraising abilities likely would have been appreciated by the Smithsonian, given that the American Women’s History Museum is expected to cost around $375 million when it does open, expected in a decade. Melanie A. Adams, director of the Smithsonian’s Anacostia Community Museum, will serve as interim director of the women’s museum until a permanent manager is found; Lisa Sasaki, who had held the temporary position before Yao’s planned rise, will take on another high-level position at another Smithsonian institution.
