Art Institute of Chicago President/Director James Rondeau has stepped away from his post amid an investigation concerning a bizarre incident onboard a flight to Europe last month, CBS News noted.
Sources said Rondeau was a passenger on United Airlines flight 953 from Chicago to Munich on April 18; authorities were called to the plane following reports of a passenger stripping off his clothes—who the sources confirmed was Rondeau. The incident reportedly occurred after he consumed alcohol and took prescription medication, and he was arrested after the plane landed, Yahoo! News added.
An Art Institute spokesperson has said, “The Art Institute takes this very seriously and has opened an independent investigation into the incident to gather all available information.”
Rondeau, who makes more than $1 million annually, has been the Art Institute’s president and director since 2016; his partner is financier Igor DaCosta.
Founded in 1879, the Art Institute is one of the most prestigious museums in the country. It has an operating budget of $120 million and a full-time staff of about 600.