Richa Parekh, a former curator at Worcester Art Museum in Massachusetts, is suing the museum for harassment and discrimination.
It was reported this week by WBUR that Richa Parekh filed a civil lawsuit against the museum at the Worcester County Superior Court last month. The 64-page case filing primarily targets Matthias Waschek (Worcester Art Museum director) and Claire Whitner (curator of European Art), the latter being the direct supervisor of Parekh. The lawsuit also names Waschek’s husband, while naming four museum employees as defendants.
In her lawsuit, Richa Parekh alleges that she was subjected to a “hostile and offensive work environment” while adding that her brown skin color and South-Asian heritage were the primary drivers behind the harassment. The lawsuit reads: “The malicious and relentless harassment made the work environment intolerable”. Parekh recounts a private dinner with Waschek and his husband, where the duo imitated a stereotypical Indian accent from a 90s British show. She also alleges that she was given inferior treatment compared to those employed later and junior to her.
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Richa Parekh specializes in Islamic and South Asian art. She has worked at the Art Institute of Chicago and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. After a short stint at the Worcester Art Museum, Parekh quit in September 2022, citing a hostile work environment as the primary factor behind her resignation. Law firm LAM & Associates investigated Parekh’s claims and concluded that employees at the Worcester Art Museum held little confidence regarding their safety. Meanwhile, Matthias Waschek also released a statement, categorically refuting all allegations and calling them “homophobic”.
