Federal Judge Orders UPenn to Give EEOC Jewish Employee Contact Information in Antisemitism Probe, While Limiting Religious‑Affiliation Details
A federal judge ordered the University of Pennsylvania to turn over contact information for employees identified as Jewish to the EEOC in a federal discrimination probe, calling the original request “ineptly worded” but finding the narrowed subpoena has an “understandable purpose” and must be complied with by May 1, 2026. The ruling bars disclosure of employees’ affiliations with specific Jewish organizations, but Penn says it will appeal on privacy and First Amendment grounds, and the decision comes amid a broader Trump‑administration push on antisemitism investigations, including DOJ action against Harvard and numerous Education Department probes.
📌 Key Facts
- A federal judge, Gerald J. Pappert, ordered the University of Pennsylvania to comply with an EEOC subpoena to provide contact information for Jewish employees in an EEOC antisemitism probe, saying the original EEOC request was "ineptly worded" but had an "understandable purpose" and has been narrowed enough to be enforced.
- The ruling requires Penn to comply with the subpoena by May 1, 2026.
- The judge limited disclosure: Penn does not have to provide employees’ affiliations with specific Jewish organizations, consistent with the EEOC’s modified request.
- Penn announced it will appeal, arguing that compiling lists of Jewish faculty and staff and turning over their personal contact information raises serious privacy and First Amendment concerns.
- The order is presented as part of a broader Trump-administration push on campus antisemitism, which includes a DOJ lawsuit against Harvard, at least 60 Education Department antisemitism investigations, and a prior Penn settlement that limited trans athletes in exchange for the release of $175 million in frozen federal funds.
📊 Relevant Data
In 2024, the Anti-Defamation League recorded a record 10,000 antisemitic incidents across the United States, marking a 140% increase from 2023, with 3,283 incidents occurring on college campuses, including multiple at the University of Pennsylvania such as vandalism and protests related to the Israel-Gaza conflict.
According to a 2025 survey by the Anti-Defamation League and Academic Engagement Network, 73% of Jewish faculty at U.S. universities reported witnessing antisemitism from fellow staff or administrators since October 7, 2023, and 30% experienced it personally.
ADL survey finds 73% of Jewish college faculty witnessed antisemitism from fellow staff — New York Post
Jews comprise approximately 2.4% of the U.S. population, but among elite American academics, they represent 21% of baby boomers and 4% of those under 30, with fewer than 10% of Harvard Arts and Sciences professors being Jewish compared to over 25% in the 1960s.
The end of an era — Inside Higher Ed
At the University of Pennsylvania, Jewish students constitute about 17% of the undergraduate population (approximately 1,700 out of 10,000 undergraduates), which is significantly higher than the national Jewish population percentage of 2.4%.
The Top Colleges with Highest Jewish Populations — Ivy Coach
📰 Source Timeline (2)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
- Judge Pappert’s opinion explicitly calls the original EEOC request "ineptly worded" but says it has an "understandable purpose" and is now narrow enough to be enforced.
- The ruling specifies that Penn must comply with the subpoena by May 1, 2026.
- Pappert reiterates that Penn does not have to disclose employees’ affiliations with specific Jewish organizations, consistent with the EEOC’s modified request.
- Penn states it will appeal and argues that creating lists of Jewish faculty and staff and providing their personal contact information raises serious privacy and First Amendment concerns.
- The piece situates this order within a broader Trump‑administration campaign, noting a new DOJ lawsuit against Harvard over alleged antisemitism and at least 60 Education Department antisemitism investigations, plus a prior Penn settlement limiting trans athletes in exchange for release of $175 million in frozen federal funds.