Campus Antisemitism Investigations

A federal judge in Philadelphia is set to hear the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s bid to enforce a subpoena demanding that the University of Pennsylvania turn over the names of numerous Jewish people on campus as part of a Trump‑administration investigation into alleged antisemitic harassment tied partly to Gaza war protests. Penn has refused, calling the demand unconstitutional and "disconcerting," and Jewish student and faculty groups have joined the case, arguing that a government‑compiled list of Jews echoes historical abuses in Nazi‑era Europe and makes them feel less safe. The EEOC contends the data is needed to probe possible discrimination and harassment, but the university and its allies say the request is overbroad and targets people based on religion rather than specific incidents. The dispute comes after the administration previously froze $175 million in federal funding to Penn in a separate clash over a transgender swimmer, underscoring an aggressive posture toward elite universities it views as hostile. Civil-rights lawyers and commentators are watching closely because the ruling could shape how far federal agencies can go in forcing schools to identify members of religious or ethnic groups during campus hate and discrimination investigations.