Nonprofit denies discrimination after firing artist who let autistic teen to take nude drawing class

The Artists Association of Nantucket told a federal court it did nothing wrong when it fired an arts administrator who let an autistic 15-year-old take a nude figure drawing class, admitting it terminated her but denying her account of the events that led to her firing.

Elizabeth Congdon-Pinto, who ran adult programming at the association for nearly four years, filed the lawsuit May 22 in U.S. District Court in Boston.

The dispute started with a three-day figure drawing class in May 2023, taught by visiting British artist Ian Mood. The last day used a live nude model, which the complaint said is standard for figure drawing and a common art-school portfolio requirement.

A 15-year-old boy visiting from Florida enrolled to build his college portfolio. His mother signed a parental waiver, which Congdon-Pinto said in her lawsuit was the only requirement for a minor to join an adult class. The association had previously allowed a non-disabled minor into the course.

Artist fired after autistic teen took nude drawing class sues

A former staffer says the Artists Association of Nantucket punished her for following disability law, then smeared her to justify it.

Urgent MatterAdam Schrader

The boy started May 23, 2023. Before the second day, Mood informed Congdon-Pinto that he might be autistic. Congdon-Pinto spoke with the boy’s mother, who confirmed her son has autism and said he would text her if the nude session bothered him, the lawsuit said. On the final day, the boy left the class quietly and waited outside.

Susan Coyne, a longtime donor and former board member taking the course, emailed former board president Patricia Keneally and executive director Tracey Sears to inform them the boy was severely autistic and "should never have been in the class," according to the complaint. She later allegedly said, "Lizzie insisted on him remaining in the class."

The association allegedly put Congdon-Pinto on 90-day probation June 7, citing her "poor judgment," the lawsuit said. The board allegedly voted to fire her before the probation ended.

The defendants— the nonprofit, its board, Keneally and Sears — filed an answer to Congdon-Pinto’s discrimination lawsuit on July 27. The answer does not give a detailed explanation from their view of what happened.

The association admitted it hired Congdon-Pinto as its director of adult programming, offered a three-day figure drawing class in May 2023 and later terminated her. It also admitted it takes local and state grant money, and that some of the state funding includes federal dollars.

The defendants otherwise denied or declined to admit many of Congdon-Pinto’s allegations, including her claims of discrimination and retaliation and her descriptions of the meetings that preceded her firing. They also denied her allegations that Keneally and Sears carried out a smear campaign against her.

The lawsuit said that at a May 30 meeting, Keneally asked what “neurodivergent” meant and told Congdon-Pinto, “As soon as you found out he was autistic, you should’ve shut it down.” The defendants denied that exchange.

Congdon-Pinto quoted text messages between herself and Mood and pointed to her own internal complaint in her lawsuit. The association said the documents speak for themselves rather than admitting or denying them. Many of her other allegations drew denials for lack of personal knowledge, the answer shows.

The association listed 29 affirmative defenses, including that its actions were lawful and non-discriminatory. It also said any statements it made about Congdon-Pinto are true and those statements were privileged. And it said that some claims are barred by the statute of limitations, among other defenses.

The association also asked the court to order Congdon-Pinto to pay its legal costs, calling her claims frivolous and not brought in good faith.

The association’s insurer, Mount Vernon Fire Insurance Company, filed its own answer the same day. On August 5, it asked the judge to sever and pause the single count brought against it while the rest of the case proceeds, according to the docket.

Congdon-Pinto’s suit accuses Mount Vernon of unfair settlement practices for rejecting a 2024 demand without a counteroffer.

She is seeking $865,000, and both sides have demanded a jury trial.

Follow along with other lawsuits at Urgent Matter's art lawsuit tracker.