On September 27, 2025, the Trump administration launched a sweeping federal investigation into alleged antisemitism across all 22 campuses of the California State University (CSU) system, drawing national attention and igniting debate over academic freedom, privacy, and the boundaries of civil rights enforcement. The probe, spearheaded by the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), marks one of the most extensive inquiries of its kind in California's higher education history. It comes on the heels of a tumultuous year of campus activism, particularly in response to Israel’s war in Gaza after the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack.
According to KABC and The Los Angeles Times, the EEOC has subpoenaed CSU—specifically Cal State Los Angeles—for the personal phone numbers and email addresses of every employee. This demand, which university officials confirmed, immediately set off alarm bells among faculty and staff, who voiced concerns about privacy and the chilling effect such a broad request could have on free speech and academic discourse.
CSU Chancellor Mildred Garcia addressed the university community in an email on Friday, acknowledging the investigation and assuring faculty and staff that the administration would cooperate fully with federal authorities. "The CSU unequivocally condemns antisemitism and continues to comply with longstanding federal and state anti-discrimination laws as well as CSU policies," the statement read. "The CSU is committed to fostering an inclusive, respectful, and supportive learning and working environment for all members of our community." Garcia added, "I know this news may be unsettling — and that is understandable. Please be assured that we are responding appropriately. And — perhaps most importantly — please know with absolute certainty that we will continue to advance the CSU’s mission through these and any challenges we face."
The investigation follows a series of high-profile, pro-Palestinian protests that erupted across CSU campuses in 2024. At Cal State L.A., demonstrators erected an encampment in the spring, demanding the university divest from companies alleged to support what they called "genocide" in Gaza. The protest intensified on June 17, 2024, when activists barricaded themselves inside the student services building for over nine hours, forcing administrators to close the heavily damaged building for two months. Similar unrest unfolded at Cal Poly Humboldt, where student occupations led to a campus shutdown and the relocation of commencement ceremonies.
These events were part of a broader wave of campus activism seen nationwide in the wake of the Gaza conflict, but the CSU protests were generally smaller and less volatile than those at some University of California (UC) campuses, including UCLA, or at private institutions like Stanford and USC. Nevertheless, the federal government’s response has been sweeping. The EEOC, in cooperation with the Department of Justice, is also investigating alleged antisemitism at all 10 UC campuses and several private universities. A statement from acting EEOC chair Andrea R. Lucas emphasized, "Universities are workplaces, too, and large-scale employers. In addition to Jewish professors on campus, universities employ Jewish staff who work a variety of jobs, all of whom have the right not to be discriminated against or harassed on the basis of religion, national origin, or race." Lucas further asserted that campuses have become "a haven for antisemitic conduct, often in violation of the universities’ own time, place, and manner policies, as well as civil rights law."
The scope of the EEOC subpoena at CSU—demanding contact information for all employees—prompted the California Faculty Association (CFA), which represents roughly 29,000 workers across the 22 campuses, to urge caution. In a statement, the CFA advised employees to consult legal counsel before responding to federal requests and raised "serious concerns about our members’ privacy." The union also demanded a copy of the subpoena and asked that Cal State L.A. not comply until the CFA had reviewed the legal demands. "Our members are demanding a copy of the subpoena and asking that CSULA not comply with the subpoena until we have had a chance to review it and formulate a response," the CFA said.
Faculty reactions have been sharply divided—not just along ideological lines, but even within the Jewish community. Luke Wukmer, a lecturer at Cal State Long Beach and CFA member, expressed disappointment in Chancellor Garcia’s response, wishing the university had pushed back more forcefully. "Academic institutions are an absolute pillar of speaking to truth, to fact and to reason," Wukmer said. "If we are going to be bullied by a branch of the federal government to comply with what seems to be new puritanical or overly draconian rulings, we are going to be in a lot of trouble."
Some Jewish faculty members, like Jeffrey Santner at Cal State L.A., questioned the basis for the investigation. Santner said he did not perceive antisemitism as a significant problem during the 2024 protests and believed the federal probe conflated anti-Israel sentiment with antisemitism. "I think most of us probably disagree with [that] and don’t think that the government is the same as a religion," he said. Santner added that while he wasn’t surprised by the chancellor’s response, he wished for stronger university leadership in the face of federal pressure. "It would be nice if we fought back ... if our leader tried to take some leadership, since we have so many universities. But the government is the government; it’s big and powerful."
Others, like Rebecca Joseph, a professor in the College of Education at Cal State L.A., supported the idea that antisemitism was a real and pressing issue on campus and across the CSU system. "There is rampant antisemitism on our campus and throughout the 22-campus system," Joseph said. She noted a persistent problem of conflating Jewish identity with Zionism or Israeli nationality and cited a lack of cultural education about Jewish people. Nevertheless, Joseph, who is part of a Jewish faculty affinity group, was not aware of any colleagues who had filed complaints with the EEOC. She questioned the motives behind the federal investigation, suggesting, "The government actions are not actually about antisemitism and are meant to get colleges to bend the knee."
Adding another layer of complexity, the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights is separately investigating CSU for alleged racial discrimination stemming from its partnership with the PhD Project—a nonprofit organization aimed at helping students from underrepresented backgrounds earn doctoral degrees in business. CSU participated in the PhD Project until 2024, primarily to publicize faculty job openings, and maintains that "no student or applicant for CSU employment was given any preferential treatment based on race, national origin or any other protected characteristic," according to Chancellor Garcia’s statement. The Office for Civil Rights is reportedly investigating at least 45 universities nationwide for similar reasons.
As the investigations unfold, the CSU system finds itself under the microscope from multiple federal agencies, with implications that reach far beyond California. The situation has spotlighted the tension between federal oversight and campus autonomy, the difficulty of balancing free expression with the need to address discrimination, and the profound divisions—sometimes even within the same community—over what constitutes antisemitism and how best to confront it.
With the EEOC and Department of Education continuing their probes and the CSU system pledging full cooperation, the coming months are likely to test not only the university’s policies but also its ability to maintain trust and transparency among students, faculty, and staff. For now, California’s largest public university system stands at the center of a national debate, facing questions that have no easy answers but demand careful consideration and, above all, a commitment to fairness and dignity for all.
