▁List " ▁Arts ▁Journal ] </ ref > ▁The ▁decision ▁to ▁de access ion ▁was ▁made ▁by ▁a ▁vote ▁of ▁the ▁museum ' s ▁Board ▁of ▁Direct ors , ▁was ▁voted ▁on ▁and ▁rat ified ▁by ▁the ▁entire ▁membership ▁( at ▁a ▁meeting ▁forced ▁by ▁oppon ents ▁of ▁the ▁sale ), ▁and ▁followed ▁the ▁gu idel ines ▁of ▁the ▁American ▁Alliance ▁of ▁Museum s , ▁according ▁to ▁Al br ight - K no x ▁officials . ▁Nevertheless , ▁announ cement ▁of ▁the ▁sale ▁set ▁off ▁a ▁fir est orm ▁of ▁diss ent . ▁ ▁The ▁controvers ial ▁decision ▁to ▁sell ▁was ▁made ▁in ▁secret , ▁and ▁was ▁not ▁revealed ▁to ▁the ▁public ▁until ▁the ▁items ▁had ▁been ▁pack ed ▁and ▁cr ated ▁and ▁were ▁already ▁at ▁S othe by ' s , ▁the ▁au ction ▁house ▁which ▁bro ker ed ▁the ▁deal . ▁La uren ▁G io ia , ▁daughter ▁of ▁prominent ▁Al br ight - K no x ▁board ▁member ▁Robert ▁G io ia , ▁was ▁employed ▁at ▁the ▁au ction ▁house ▁at ▁the ▁time ▁of ▁the ▁sale , ▁a ▁conflict ▁of ▁interest ▁that ▁was ▁not ▁dis closed ▁when ▁the ▁sale ▁was ▁announced . ▁The ▁judge ▁who ▁threw ▁out ▁a ▁law suit ▁seeking ▁to ▁block ▁the ▁sale , ▁D iane ▁Dev lin , ▁had ▁been ▁appointed ▁city ▁court ▁judge ▁by ▁former ▁Buff alo ▁Mayor ▁Anthony ▁Mas iel lo . ▁The ▁au ction ▁house ▁was ▁represented ▁in ▁the ▁de access ion ▁suit ▁by ▁Terr ence ▁M . ▁Con n ors , ▁an ▁att