Grunewald v. Metropolitan Museum of Art
Appellate Division of New York
3 N.Y.S.3d 23 (2015)
Relevant factsFree
Grunewald and other visitors (plaintiffs) sued the Metropolitan Museum of Art (defendant), challenging its policy of recommending a $25 entrance fee (while technically allowing any payment), and arguing that an 1893 state statute and the museum's lease with the City of New York required genuinely free admission. They sought an injunction forcing the museum to enforce free admission, but the trial court dismissed for lack of standing, and the plaintiffs appealed.
IssueFree
Whether a member of the public has standing to sue as a third-party beneficiary of a government contract, or under a public statute, absent a clear intention to give individual citizens a direct, enforceable remedy.