The United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has withdrawn its subpoena that sought personal contact information of Jewish employees at the University of Pennsylvania, concluding a legal dispute that lasted several months. As of July 23, 2026, the university is no longer required to provide the requested information, and related court proceedings will cease. The decision follows significant criticism from the university community regarding the original subpoena issued in July 2025.
A spokesperson for the university stated that the EEOC's decision vindicates Penn's efforts over the past two and a half years and eliminates the need for an appeal. The agreement, filed in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, specifies that the EEOC will not pursue further enforcement of the subpoena. Each party will bear its own legal costs as part of the agreement.
The court filing did not provide a rationale for the EEOC's decision, and an agency spokesperson declined to comment further. Lorena Grundy, Vice President of the Penn chapter of the American Association of University Professors, expressed pride in being part of the coalition that protected the privacy and safety of the Jewish community at Penn. She emphasized the importance of collective action in achieving this outcome.
The EEOC's initial subpoena was part of an investigation into workplace antisemitism at the university, which included requests for a list of antisemitism complaints and names of members of Jewish-related campus groups. In March 2026, a federal district judge ordered Penn to comply with the subpoena, but a Philadelphia court later granted a motion to stay enforcement of that ruling. The EEOC's actions followed the Trump administration's move to end mandatory demographic data reporting to the agency.