EEOC subpoena at Penn aims to identify victims, not create a Jewish registry

A district court is being urged by campus groups to nullify an EEOC subpoena that requests identifying information for Jewish employees and members of Jewish organizations at the University of Pennsylvania. Representatives for Jewish workers contend the demand is a routine part of civil-rights investigations, designed to locate possible victims and witnesses in alleged antisemitic harassment cases. They compare it to typical EEOC inquiries that collect data on race, sex, age or disability to assess systemic bias.

Because employers seldom record religious affiliation, the agency may use indirect indicators, which can heighten privacy worries. The attorneys emphasize that administrative subpoenas are routinely challenged and that courts act as a check on agency overreach. They argue that effective enforcement of Title VII depends on the ability to identify affected individuals, and that the process can uncover broader patterns of discrimination beyond the initial complainant.