Hours after The Standard published an investigation into a decade’s worth of lawsuits and complaints brought by security guards at the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, the institution’s director and CEO, Thomas P. Campbell, sent an internal email attempting to downplay the severity of the allegations laid out in the report.
In the email, sent Wednesday and obtained exclusively by The Standard, Campbell called the piece “highly sensationalized” and “distorted.” He advised staff to deflect inquiries from museum visitors, suggesting a series of talking points that cast doubt on the story’s revelations.
“Should you receive questions from visitors or members, please feel free to simply respond with, ‘Thank you for bringing this to our attention. We are aware of the article. This is an ongoing personnel matter and an incomplete and inaccurate narrative. The Museums and the City are addressing it through proper legal channels. Our priority is ensuring a safe, welcoming experience for all visitors and staff,’” Campbell wrote.
Among the allegations in The Standard’s report are an alleged pattern of discrimination, harassment, and retaliation over age, race, and physical and mental disabilities. The report highlights allegations that the museum’s HR team and management — several of whom have criminal records and instances of workplace misconduct — are responsible for the alleged abuse.
In his email, Campbell called the lawsuits “historic,” despite all being filed since 2016, and one, filed in July, still pending.
“The text gives an inaccurate picture of what happened at the museums based on just a few people’s accounts and information from public record,” Campbell wrote. “As such, the story does not show the full picture or the standards and practices of FAMSF and our staff and gives a very distorted view of events.”
The investigation drew from hundreds of pages of court documents; public records from city, county, state, and federal agencies; and interviews with more than a dozen current and former staff members to detail allegations of longstanding abuse and discrimination at the de Young Museum, which is overseen by the city-funded Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco.
The Standard also accessed internal emails from the city attorney’s office, the Fine Arts Museums, and the San Francisco Police Department, among other city and state agencies.
Former city human resources director Micki Callahan issued official determinations in 2016 and 2017 that at least two security guards had their medical leave rights violated by the Fine Arts Museums on a federal and state level.
Campbell and other museum officials declined The Standard’s interview requests and refused to respond on the record to accusations made by current and former security staffers.
“Out of respect for the staff involved, to follow the legal process and to avoid adding weight to a version of events that isn’t complete or balanced, we chose not to comment on the story prior to its publication,” the director wrote.
The full email from Campbell is below:
From: Thomas Campbell
Date: Wed, Sep 24, 2025, 3:40 PM
Subject: SF Standard Article
Dear Colleagues,
This morning, the SF Standard published a highly sensationalized article regarding historic lawsuits and allegations against FAMSF and the City and County of San Francisco, some of which are over a decade old. One case is ongoing, making this an active staff matter. The text gives an inaccurate picture of what happened at the museums based on just a few people’s accounts and information from public record. As such, the story does not show the full picture or the standards and practices of FAMSF and our staff and gives a very distorted view of events.
Out of respect for the staff involved, to follow the legal process and to avoid adding weight to a version of events that isn’t complete or balanced, we chose not to comment on the story prior to its publication.
We stand by our values and our commitment to providing a safe, respectful, equitable workplace for every member of our team.
We have complied with City labor union and legal processes and will continue to do so with transparency and professionalism.
Should a reporter contact you for this or any other matter related to our museums, we recommend you direct them to our Communications colleagues at [email protected] who are trained and well equipped to handle these matters and to represent the Museums.
Should you receive questions from visitors or members, please feel free to simply respond with:
“Thank you for bringing this to our attention. We are aware of the article. This is an ongoing personnel matter and an incomplete and inaccurate narrative. The Museums and the City are addressing it through proper legal channels. Our priority is ensuring a safe, welcoming experience for all visitors and staff.”
I encourage each of you to remain focused on the positive and important work we are doing together—bringing art, culture, and inspiration to the public and the openings of our upcoming exhibitions.
Tom
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Thomas P. Campbell
Director and CEO
(he, him, his)