Does the Trump administration have the right to demand that the University of Pennsylvania provide a list of its Jewish students and employees? Yes, a federal judge decided this Tuesday, who gave the venerable Ivy League institution until May 1 to comply. A “list of Jews”, to use the formulation of the American media? Against all expectations, this request, contested in court by the university with the support of several Jewish associations who see it as a “serious danger”, comes as part of an investigation into anti-Semitism on campus.
Let’s rewind. Since 2023, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), a federal agency, has been investigating possible cases of discrimination against Jewish staff at “Penn”. This year, after a disastrous hearing before Congress to answer questions about the rise in anti-Semitism within the establishment after the October 7 attack and the start of the war in Gaza, his President, Liz Magill, had resigned.
