On March 31st, a federal judge just ruled that the Trump administration's Equal Employment Opportunity Commission can force the university of Pennsylvania to hand over contact info for Jewish faculty and staff. This is part of a probe into anti-Semitism on campus. Judge Gerald Pappers shot down the university's constitutional arguments, saying the subpoena is valid and narrowly focused on potential witnesses, too. Workplace discrimination.
He made it clear the request doesn't violate rights, and he called out comparisons to Nazi Germany as over-the-top and unhelpful. The university tried to dial that back, but the judge wasn't having it. Penn has until May 1st to comply, though they don't have to reveal ties to specific Jewish groups. Penn's pushing back hard, saying they plan to appeal over privacy and First Amendment worries.
They stress they don't even keep employee lists by religion, and protecting staff rights is key, even while respecting the EEOC's role. This all stems from claims of anti-Semitic harassment at the school that leaders allegedly ignored. The EEOC says they need direct access to talk to folks who might have seen or felt it, to check for a hostile environment. Employees can still say no to interviews if contacted.
Meanwhile, the EEOC's holding firm on fighting workplace anti-Semitism, and with the appeal looming, this fight over balancing probes and privacy. Rights is far from over. That wraps U.S. News Today, brought to you with AI.