On April 13, 2026, the University of Pennsylvania appealed a federal court ruling ordering the university to comply with an EEOC subpoena seeking identifying information about Jewish employees and Jewish-affiliated campus communities. Penn argued that forced compliance would cause “irreparable harm” because of the privacy and First Amendment rights at stake. The judge put the disputed subpoena requirement on hold while the case played out in court.
Last week, the EEOC and Penn reached an agreement that appears to protect the privacy of Penn employees and student workers. As per a July 27, 2026 court filing, the “EEOC warrants that it will not take any further measures to enforce the subpoena seeking identification and personal contact information of employees of the University of Pennsylvania.” In return, Penn has dropped its appeal against the EEOC. The court filing also stipulates that “that each party shall bear its own costs and attorney’s fees.”
The EEOC dropped its subpoena demands following deep backlash from the Penn community and elsewhere. Public pressure works!