Dozens of current and former Barnard College employees received text messages from what appeared to be the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), asking if they were Jewish or Israeli and if they experienced harassment. Initially perceived as a scam, Barnard College later confirmed the texts were part of a federal investigation into discrimination against Jewish employees that began last summer.
Barnard's general counsel, Serena Longley, confirmed the authenticity of the texts in an email to faculty, stating that Barnard provided employee contact information to the EEOC to facilitate participation in the voluntary survey.
The text message campaign is seen as an aggressive tactic by the Trump administration to address alleged antisemitism at Barnard, which has faced criticism for pro-Palestinian demonstrations. This action is part of a broader Trump administration approach targeting elite universities for alleged systemic antisemitism, a move criticized by some as an attack on academic freedom.
The administration's actions include withholding over $400 million in federal research funding from Columbia University and the arrest of pro-Palestinian demonstrators. These actions highlight a significant political conflict surrounding allegations of antisemitism and freedom of expression on college campuses.