 Several of the university's large donors were reportedly particularly hard hit due to investment with Bernard Madoff.On July 27, 2009, three of the museum's overseers filed a lawsuit in Massachusetts to halt the closing and sale of works.The three, including a member of the Rose family, contended that the planned closing contradicts the museum's "charitable intentions", violates the trust of those who donated art to the institution, and reneges on "Brandeis's promises that the Rose would be maintained in perpetuity".