A prominent Chicago socialite in the art scene has been placed on leave after reportedly stripping his clothes off on a United Airlines flight to Munich in Polaris business class.

Prominent Chicagoan In Hot Water After Stripping On United Airlines Flight

James Rondeau is the President and Director of the Art Institute of Chicago. He’s paid over $1 million a year for his work in that role, which he assumed in 2016.

Reports have emerged of an incident concerning Rondeau on United Airlines flight 953 from Chicago (ORD) to Munich MUC) on April 18, 2025. According to witnesses onboard, at one point in the flight, he stripped off all his clothes in front of other passengers in the Polaris Business Class cabin. Police were called and met the flight at Munich’s Franz Josef Strauss International Airport.

The incident occurred after Rondeau mixed alcohol with prescription medication, a common theme when it comes to explaining poor behavior onboard.

While no criminal charges against Rondeau have been revealed, he has taken “voluntary leave” as the Art Institute investigates what occurred onboard:

“The Art Institute takes this very seriously and has opened an independent investigation into the incident to gather all available information. Art Institute leadership is meeting to determine next steps.”

Maybe Rondeau thought he was flying Emirates?

In all seriousness, if Rondeau had no previous history of these sorts of disturbances, I’m willing to cut him a lot of slack, especially if he did not consume copious amounts of alcohol. Combine medication, alcohol, and a pressurized airplane cabin and you can have trouble, even when the drinking is in moderation.

I’m reaching the point in life when I struggle to sleep on airplanes, and the thought of using sleep aids when traveling has crossed my mind. If I ever do, you can bet that I will be drinking water only…this story is hardly unique, and it seems far too dangerous for me to ever risk.

Finally, it seems somewhat fitting that this happened on a flight to Germany, a country that is quite open and tolerant of nudity. I think back to the Hinterwäldler on my flight from Frankfurt to Chicago, where a man also disrobed after having far too much to drink as we approached our destination…

I expect we won’t hear any more updates about this, but we will know if Rondeau is “cleared” if he returns to his position. This incident is another reminder of the dangerous combination of certain prescription drugs with alcohol. Be wise!

> Read More: Man Performs Striptease in Aisle On My United Flight