The founding director of the Smithsonian’s upcoming American Women’s History Museum stepped down less than four months after her appointment was announced, following allegations that she mishandled sexual harassment allegations at her former workplace, she said. on Wednesday.
in a statement posted on his LinkedIn pageNancy Yao said she was stepping down due to family issues, including her father being in hospice care and her “two wonderful teenagers who needed my support.”
she also quoted recent coverage in youThe Washington Post reporting that, under her leadership, the Museum of Chinese in America (MOCA), where she previously served as president, settled three wrongful termination lawsuits from former employees who claimed they were fired in retaliation for reporting allegations of sexual harassment by senior male civil servants towards young female civil servants.
The two men the employees accused of harassment kept their jobs at the museum, and Yao later promoted one, The Washington Post reported in its April investigation. Yao “strongly denied” retaliating against the whistleblowers and the lawsuits were settled without either Yao or the museum admitting wrongdoing, the newspaper reported.
“I want to be honest and mention that another factor influenced my decision: the recent articles in the Washington Post,” Yao said in her statement. “Unfortunately, they misrepresented certain events and I feel a responsibility to protect my family from unnecessary stress.”
She did not provide further details about the alleged misrepresentations and could not immediately be reached for comment Thursday morning.
“While this is an incredible opportunity and one I have always dreamed of, my family needs me now more than ever,” Yao wrote of retiring from the role.
the smithsonian announced Yao’s appointment in March and said he would take office on June 5, but the Washington Post reported that their start date ended up being pushed back while they awaited the results of an independent investigation into Yao’s handling of the sexual harassment allegations at MOCA.
Smithsonian senior spokeswoman Linda St. Thomas told NBC News that Yao never actually began working at the Smithsonian and that she left “due to family issues that require her attention.” She did not respond to a question about the findings of the independent investigation into the allegations about Yao’s handling of sexual harassment at MOCA.
St. Thomas added that the Smithsonian will start searching for a new director “immediately” and that Melanie Adams, director of the Smithsonian’s Anacostia Community Museumhas been named interim director.
Congress passed legislation in December 2020 to create the upcoming Smithsonian Museum of American Women’s History, as well as a national Latino museum administered by the Smithsonian.
St. Thomas said she estimates it will be 10 to 15 years before the Museum of American Women’s History opens.
