Current:Home > StocksPro-Palestinian faculty sue to stop Penn from giving wide swath of files to Congress -TradeGrid
Pro-Palestinian faculty sue to stop Penn from giving wide swath of files to Congress
View
Date:2025-04-18 12:14:52
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Pro-Palestinian faculty at the University of Pennsylvania have sued the Ivy League school to stop it from sending sensitive internal material to a congressional committee investigating antisemitism on campus — a probe they call “a new form of McCarthyism.”
Professor Huda Fakhreddine and other members of Penn Faculty for Justice in Palestine fear the school is poised to send files, emails, student records and other material to Congress, putting both their safety and academic freedom at risk.
Fakhreddine had organized a Palestinian literature festival on campus in September that is one of the areas of congressional interest. The 14-page request from the Republican-led committee, dated Jan. 24, seeks a wide swath of material on Penn’s handling over two years of everything from antisemitic social media posts to foreign donations to performance metrics for its Office of Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging.
“This nation is seeing the advent of a new form of McCarthyism, in which accusations of antisemitism are substituted for the insinuations of communist leanings which were the tool of oppression in the 1950’s,” the lawsuit said.
They have asked a federal judge to block the school from sending the information to the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, whose inquests led the presidents of both Penn and Harvard University to resign after their testimony in December. No hearings have yet been scheduled.
“When Congress knocks on your door, it’s really hard to tell them to go away,” said lawyer Shahily Negron, who represents Fakhreddine and the others. However, she said, “The University of Pennsylvania is about to produce documents that we feel will put my client(s) ... at risk.”
The lawsuit, which seeks an emergency injunction, was filed Saturday in federal court in Philadelphia. It argues that both faculty and students have the right to privacy and free speech.
The university, through a spokesman, declined to comment Wednesday on the lawsuit or specify which materials it planned to give Congress.
The suit follows a flurry of complaints filed over the handling of tensions and protests on American campuses since the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks and Israel’s ensuing ground invasion of Gaza. People on both sides of the conflict have complained of harassment and bias incidents. Two students also have sued Penn, alleging the school has not done enough to stifle antisemitism on campus. Penn has denied the claim.
Fakhreddine’s suit notes that the House Committee on Education and the Workforce sent Penn only a voluntary request for the material, not a legally binding subpoena.
Fakhreddine, an associate professor of Arabic literature, is joined in the suit by Eve Troutt Powell, a history professor who once led the Middle East Studies Association.
“Neither of them is an anti-semite, but both have been falsely accused of bias towards Jews,” the suit said.
veryGood! (75469)
Related
- 2025 'Doomsday Clock': This is how close we are to self
- Mark Zuckerberg to families of exploited kids: 'I'm sorry for everything you've been through'
- Taylor Swift Drops Reputation Easter Eggs With Must-See 2024 Grammys Look
- Bruce Willis and Ex Demi Moore Celebrate Daughter Tallulah's 30th Birthday
- Sam Taylor
- Italian mafia boss who escaped maximum security prison using bed sheets last year is captured on French island
- Italian mafia boss who escaped maximum security prison using bed sheets last year is captured on French island
- Skydiver dies in Arizona, 2nd deadly incident involving Eloy skydiving events in less than a month
- Federal appeals court upholds $14.25 million fine against Exxon for pollution in Texas
- The destruction of a Jackie Robinson statue was awful. What happened next was amazing.
Ranking
- Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, Triathlon
- This Top-Rated Amazon Back Pain Relief Seat Cushion Is on Sale for Only $30
- Wisconsin Democrats inch closer to overturning Republican-drawn legislative maps
- Controversial podcast host Joe Rogan signs a new deal with Spotify for up to a reported $250 million
- Are Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp down? Meta says most issues resolved after outages
- Do your kids want a dog? Science may be on their side
- Who Is Kelly Osbourne's Masked Date at the 2024 Grammys? Why This Scary Look Actually Makes Perfect Sense
- Kandi Burruss Leaving The Real Housewives of Atlanta After 14 Seasons
Recommendation
Civic engagement nonprofits say democracy needs support in between big elections. Do funders agree?
Abortion access on the ballot in 2024
A guide to the perfect Valentine's Day nails, from pink French tips to dark looks
Lindsay Lohan Reveals Son Luai's Special Connection to Stephen and Ayesha Curry
Meta releases AI model to enhance Metaverse experience
How 2024 Caribbean Series was influenced by MLB legend Ralph Avila | Nightengale's Notebook
Lovevery recalls 51,500 of its Slide & Seek Ball Runs over choking hazard
Kandi Burruss announces 'break' from 'Real Housewives of Atlanta': 'I'm not coming back this year'