All parties were misled by Berkshire Museum

To the editor:

True, this wholesale deaccessioning by the Berkshire Museum is not bound by specific laws. However, the institution belongs to the American Alliance of Museums and is an associate of the Smithsonian Institution, both of which have strong codes of ethics. Therefore the museum's donors, members, the city of Pittsfield, the public, and any entity that contributed to the museum's financial well-being and non-profit status had every reason to trust that the museum was abiding by these ethical standards — and consequently were being misled.

Carol Diehl,

Housatonic

The writer is an artist and art critic.