Artforum Publisher Knight Landesman Resigns Amid Sexual-Misconduct Allegations

The longtime publisher of an influential art magazine has become the latest figure to resign amid sexual-misconduct claims. Knight Landesman, 67, the co-publisher of Artforum, stepped down Wednesday after 35 years on the job, with his three other co-publishers saying his departure came after staff members complained he “engaged in unacceptable behavior and caused a hostile work environment,” Artnet News reports. “Regretfully, this behavior undermines the feminist ideals we have long strived to stand for,” they said in a statement. The news came hours after Amanda Schmitt, a former employee, filed a lawsuit against Landesman, claiming he’d sexually harassed her for several years. Seven other women complained of similar behavior by the art icon in the lawsuit. The magazine’s three remaining co-publishers—Anthony Korner, Charles Guarino, and Danielle McConnell—initially stood by Landesman after the allegations. In a statement released just a day before they announced his resignation, they said Schmitt’s claims seemed to be “an attempt to exploit a relationship that she herself worked hard to create and maintain,” according to Artnet News.