UPenn Balks as Feds Demand Records on Jewish Staff

The University of Pennsylvania is pushing back hard against the Trump administration over a federal demand it says goes too far. In a new federal court filing, the school criticized the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission for seeking detailed records on Jewish employees, describing the request as "extraordinary and unconstitutional," reports the New York Times. The dispute stems from an EEOC inquiry into possible antisemitism at Penn that escalated in November, when the administration sued the university for not complying with a subpoena.

The subpoena was said to have sought information on staff who reported antisemitic discrimination, as well as those affiliated with Jewish organizations on campus and those who took part in closed-door "listening sessions" conducted by the school's antisemitism task force, per the Inquirer—all without their consent. Penn argues that turning over such data ignores the historical dangers of governments compiling lists of people of Jewish ancestry and violates workers' privacy, safety, and rights under the First Amendment.

"Although purportedly in service of Penn's Jewish employees, the EEOC's demands have engendered fear and opposition across Penn's Jewish community," the court filing states, per the Chronicle of Higher Education. The EEOC has said it's investigating possible religious, national origin, and race-based harassment, according to the Times; it has until Tuesday to respond to Penn's filing.