Head of Art Institute under investigation for stripping during flight
James Rondeau, president and director of the Art Institute of Chicago, is under investigation after allegedly removing his clothes during a flight.
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- The president and director of the Art Institute of Chicago is under investigation after allegedly stripping on a flight from Chicago to Munich.
- The man is on voluntary leave from the museum pending the investigation’s completion.
- The Art Institute of Chicago confirmed the incident and has launched an independent investigation.
The head of a prominent Chicago art museum is under investigation after allegedly stripping during a flight to Europe.
Police were called to an April 18 United Airlines flight from Chicago to Munich, following reports that James Rondeau, president and director of the Art Institute of Chicago, took his clothes off, CBS News reported on May 2. He had allegedly consumed alcohol and prescription medication before the incident, per the outlet.
The Art Institute confirmed the accuracy of the CBS report to USA TODAY. “The Art Institute takes this very seriously and has opened an independent investigation into the incident to gather all available information,” the museum said in an emailed statement.
Rondeau is taking a voluntary leave from work pending the investigation’s completion. He and Munich Airport did not immediately respond to USA TODAY’s requests for comment.
United declined to comment.
Rondeau has led the museum since 2016, according to its website. He previously served as the Dittmer Chair and Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art and as associate curator of contemporary art.
The news comes after a woman allegedly stripped naked on a Southwest Airlines flight in March, forcing it to return to the gate in Houston.
Nathan Diller is a consumer travel reporter for USA TODAY based in Nashville. You can reach him at ndiller@usatoday.com.
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