The Trump administration has withdrawn a subpoena seeking records from the University of Pennsylvania about antisemitism complaints and information connected to Jewish campus groups, according to a court filing Thursday.
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission had demanded records on antisemitism allegations, a list of campus organizations connected to Jewish religion, ancestry or national origin, membership rosters for those groups, and the names of people who worked in Penn’s Jewish Studies Program. The administration’s decision does not end the EEOC’s broader investigation into antisemitism at the university.
Penn had turned over some information but resisted other demands, arguing that the subpoena was unconstitutional and could place Jewish students and employees at risk. The government maintained that it was not attempting to create a registry of Jews, but was seeking contact information for potential victims and witnesses.
Federal Judge Gerald Pappert ruled in March that Penn largely had to comply, though he stayed the decision while the university pursued an appeal. He later acknowledged that the case raised complex constitutional questions and that releasing the information prematurely could cause harm.
The court filing did not explain why the administration dropped the subpoena.
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