A federal judge has approved the Trump administration’s request to collect information about Jewish students and faculty at the University of Pennsylvania. The investigation into discrimination at the school had unified Penn leaders with Jewish students and faculty in opposition, drawing parallels between the government’s approach and methods used in Nazi Germany.
Judge Gerald J. Pappert ruled that the government’s subpoena was valid and narrow-mindedly focused on potential victims and witnesses of antisemitism. However, the university had to share information about individuals who could have experienced or witnessed antisemitism in the workplace.
The investigation began after a Republican commissioner filed a complaint citing news articles, public statements, and congressional testimony showing a pattern of antisemitism at the school. The EEOC has described the settlement as its largest for an antisemitism allegation.
This ruling marks a test of how far the government can go to investigate its suspicions of antisemitism in higher education, shaping how aggressively the Trump administration pursues inquiries on other campuses.
Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/31/us/politics/trump-jews-penn-list-judge.html