Montreal Museum of Fine Arts fires director Nathalie Bondil over toxic workplace allegations

Nathalie Bondil has been dismissed as director and chief curator of the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts following accusations of fostering a toxic work environment. The museum's board cited her inflexibility and denial of findings from an independent report on psychological harassment within the conservation department. Bondil's departure follows the controversial appointment of Mary-Dailey Desmarais to the newly created Director of the Curatorial Division position. Internal documents reveal Desmarais ranked only fourth in the selection process, with another candidate achieving near-perfect scores. Desmarais, who holds a doctorate from Yale and a master's from Williams College, joined the museum in 2014 as an associate curator. Her husband Paul Desmarais III comes from a prominent family with deep ties to the institution, including the Jean-Noël Desmarais Pavilion named for his great-grandfather. Board chair Michel de la Chenelière defended the hiring as the result of a rigorous international process. Bondil had led the museum since 2007, becoming the first woman to direct a Canadian public gallery. Pierre Lassonde, chair of the Canadian Council, questioned the museum's governance in the wake of these developments.