Barnard College employees received a controversial survey from the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) that inquired about their Jewish identity. This outreach is the latest move in the Trump administration’s wider probe into claims of antisemitism on American college and university campuses. The survey has generated a lot of fear and anxiety among staff, especially around how personal information will be used and the impact of asking such questions.
The EEOC distributed an anonymous survey to various Barnard employees. Our hope is that this survey will provide a window into their experiences of antisemitism on campus. Colin Wayne Leach, a professor at Barnard College, noted that many colleagues expressed discontent and concern regarding the unsolicited messages. Debbie Becher, a sociology professor at the university, calls the survey “a little scary.” That doesn’t prevent her from ringing the alarm bell on its deeply disturbing implications.
Rebecca Kobrin, co-director of the Institute for Israel and Jewish Studies (IIJS), acknowledged receipt of the message. Also awarded the prize was Celia Naylor, Africana Studies Department professor. We provided an open-ended way for survey respondents to express how they felt. These comprised terms such as “unwelcome remarks, teasing, or conversation” and “bullying or coercion.”
Elizabeth Hutchinson, an associate professor at Barnard, initially doubted the authenticity of the message upon receiving it on her personal phone at 5:39 PM ET on Monday. She thought, “My goodness, this must be a scam because, how in the world could the EEOC possibly have my contact information.” Her skepticism is indicative of a larger fear among staff regarding the use of their personal data.
Longley then sent an all-staff email to Barnard employees to explain what had transpired. He stressed the fact that taking the survey is completely voluntary. Yet staff members said that they were especially worried about the ways that their personally identifiable information would be shared with federal agencies. Others simply asked for advance notice before their information was released.
Longley shared that the EEOC initiated a systemic investigation into Barnard College last summer. This move has serious implications for Title VII of the Civil Rights Act. This investigation seeks to determine if the college is in violation of laws prohibiting discrimination against religious and other college students.
Elizabeth Bauer, also an EEOC faculty member at Barnard, blasted the agency’s tactics. She continued, “Regardless of the stated purpose, this survey basically creates a roster of Jewish faculty, staff and students at Barnard, which is alarming. Bauer further elaborated on her concerns by drawing parallels between the survey and recent government practices regarding undocumented immigrants: “The government is now requiring undocumented immigrants, including children, to register with DHS. I’ve experienced this scenario before and I’m mortified.
The survey focused on direct antisemitic acts such as targeting, threatening, or harassing them and their peers negatively impacting the Jewish learning environment. This ranged from feeling pressured to convert or renounce their Judaism to being threatened or stalked outside work at antisemitic protests or other events that overwhelmed their workplace. The addition of these options has only exacerbated the concern among faculty over what might happen as a result of their answers.
In their testimony Barnard staff voiced grave concerns about privacy. They express fear over the implications of being publicly identified as Jewish in an institutional context. Debbie Becher articulated this feeling very well. She continued, “They’re trying to figure out who the Jews are via some SMS text message and Microsoft Office form.”