Federal Judge Rules Trump Administration May Subpoena Records of Jewish Staff at University of Pennsylvania

A federal judge ruled the University of Pennsylvania must provide contact info for Jewish employees by May 1 as part of a Trump administration antisemitism probe.

By: AXL Media

Published: Mar 31, 2026, 4:56 PM EDT

Source: Information for this report was sourced from The Times of Israel

Philadelphia District Court Mandates University Compliance with Federal Subpoena

A federal judge has ruled in favor of the Trump administration, declaring that the University of Pennsylvania must surrender specific data regarding Jewish personnel on its campus. Judge Gerald J. Pappert of the Federal District Court in Philadelphia issued the order, which compels the university to adhere to a subpoena issued by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). The ruling effectively ends a period of non-compliance from the university’s trustees, who had previously resisted federal attempts to obtain the information during an investigation into alleged workplace discrimination.

EEOC Investigation Into Alleged Campus Discrimination Triggers Legal Standoff

The roots of the legal battle trace back to December 2023, when the EEOC initiated an inquiry into claims that the University of Pennsylvania permitted a discriminatory environment for its Jewish employees. As part of this administrative probe, federal investigators requested the contact details of Jewish staffers to conduct further interviews and verify allegations. The university’s refusal to provide this information led the federal commission to file a lawsuit against the institution's trustees last year, arguing that the records were essential to fulfilling their investigative mandate.

Jewish Campus Groups Cite Historical Precedents in Opposition to Data Collection

The federal demand has been met with significant resistance from the very community the investigation claims to protect. Jewish groups at the University of Pennsylvania released a joint statement expressing profound concern over the government’s attempt to create a registry based on religious and ethnic identity. These organizations argued that the compelled cataloging of Jewish individuals carries dangerous historical echoes, potentially making the community more vulnerable rather than less. Despite the stated goal of combating antisemitism, these groups maintain that the collection of private information poses a greater long-term risk to Jewish safety on campus.