Judge says Penn must turn over info about Jewish employees in discrimination probe
A federal judge has ordered Penn to hand over records about Jewish employees on campus to a federal agency as part of an investigation into antisemitic discrimination.
Updated on: March 31, 2026 / 6:16 PM EDT / AP
U.S. District Judge Gerald Pappert said employees can refuse to take part in the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission investigation but the agency "needs the opportunity to talk to them directly to learn if they have evidence of discrimination."
He mostly upheld an administrative subpoena but said Penn does not have to disclose any worker's affiliation with a Jewish-related organization nor must it provide information about three Jewish-affiliated groups. He set a deadline of May 1 to comply.
A university spokesperson said in an emailed response that the school is committed to confronting antisemitism and all forms of discrimination and has "taken multiple steps to prevent and address these despicable events." Penn plans to appeal.
"While we acknowledge the important role of the EEOC to investigate discrimination, we also have an obligation to protect the rights of our employees. We continue to believe that requiring Penn to create lists of Jewish faculty and staff, and to provide personal contact information, raises serious privacy and First Amendment concerns. The University does not maintain employee lists by religion," the university's statement read.