A former chief executive of the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles has called for the removal of its current director, Jeffrey Deitch, a month into a roiling controversy over the direction of the museum, The Los Angeles Times reported. Charles E. Young, who ran the museum from 2008 to 2010, made his argument to Eli Broad, the museum’s largest donor and most influential board member, in an e-mail which was obtained by the paper.

The museum’s round of troubles began in June with the resignation of its longtime chief curator, Paul Schimmel, who was known to have a difficult relationship with Mr. Deitch, a former New York gallery owner. Mr. Schimmel’s departure was followed by the resignation of four prominent artists from the board: John Baldessari, Catherine Opie, Barbara Kruger and Ed Ruscha. In his e-mail to Mr. Broad, as quoted in The Times, Mr. Young wrote of Mr. Deitch, “I hope that the four-alarm fire now enveloping MOCA has at least given you pause for thought about his appointment and your continued attempts to try to save him for a job for which many (including myself) believe he is unqualified.” He added, “The resignation of dedicated, long-term trustees, and especially four highly respected artists of international acclaim should bother you, David [Johnson], Maria [Bell] and the other continuing members of the Board. The question is ‘What is now to be done?’”

“I will do anything I can to try to right the MOCA ship,” Mr. Young concluded, “but nothing will work, in my mind, without a new Captain/Director.”