05-08-2025
Columbia’s and Barnard’s faculties received text messages from the EEOC asking them to complete a survey as part of Title VII investigations into the higher-ed institutions. The survey asked current and former employees (faculty, staff, and student workers) to indicate whether they were Jewish. These individuals were also asked if they had experienced any of nine types of discriminatory incidents based on their identity, including “unwelcome comments, jokes, or discussions,” “harassment [or] intimidation,” or “pressure to abandon, change or adopt a practice or religious belief.” The EEOC told the colleges’ employees it was “currently reviewing” their employers’ employment practices. The agency instructed the individuals not to take the survey during work hours or on company-supplied equipment, whether working for one of the colleges or another employer.
Some professors expressed concern about the texts. One professor told The Guardian, “Regardless of the stated intent, this survey in effect creates a list of Jewish faculty, staff, and students at Barnard.” The survey offered the following choices: “I am Jewish,” “I am Israeli,” “I have shared Jewish/Israeli ancestry,” “I practice Judaism,” and “Other.” Another professor told The New York Times that she found it “a bit terrifying” that the federal government wanted to know “who the Jews are through some text message and Microsoft Office Form.”
The EEOC is investigating Columbia and Barnard as part of the federal government’s review of antisemitism on college campuses. Title VII prohibits discrimination based on sex, race, national origin, and religion. Barnard’s General Counsel messaged the staff after the EEOC’s text. She stated that Barnard did not receive advance notice about the EEOC’s plan. The GC let the staff know their participation was voluntary and that federal law and Barnard policy strictly prohibited any retaliation. Employees asked Barnard to let them know in advance, going forward, when their contact information is disclosed regarding an investigation or litigation. Columbia did alert its faculty in the Institute for Israel and Jewish Studies that it intended to comply with a subpoena to release their contact information, noting that it did “not provide the information voluntarily.”