Muslim Group Demands UC Berkeley Transparency on Antisemitism Probe

URGENT UPDATE: A national Muslim civil liberties organization has just filed a Public Records Act request with the University of California, Berkeley, demanding transparency regarding its cooperation with a federal investigation into antisemitism on campus. The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) submitted the request on November 21, 2023, following revelations that UC Berkeley shared the names of 160 students, staff, and faculty with federal authorities.

WHY THIS MATTERS NOW: The situation raises serious concerns about the privacy and rights of individuals within the university community, particularly in light of the current political climate. “UC Berkeley’s decision to hand personal information about its own community members to the federal government is a grave breach of trust,” stated Jeffrey Wang, CAIR’s civil rights managing attorney.

The U.S. Department of Education and Department of Justice have been investigating UC Berkeley since early 2025 to assess allegations of discrimination against students and faculty amid rising antisemitism on campuses nationwide. This scrutiny follows widespread protests demanding universities sever ties with Israel, spurred by the ongoing Israel-Hamas war that has claimed nearly 70,000 Palestinian and 1,200 Israeli lives, according to reports from the Associated Press.

The university’s decision to comply with federal authorities has been met with backlash from the academic community. Janet Gilmore, a university spokesperson, previously noted that the compliance was a legal obligation determined by the University of California’s systemwide Office of the General Counsel. Documents were shared with federal agencies in August, and affected individuals were informed in a September email.

In response to the records request, CAIR seeks clarity on what specific documents were handed over to the government, the legal rationale behind the sharing, and who authorized the cooperation. “Students and faculty should not have to wonder whether their university is quietly feeding their names into federal investigations because of what they believe, what they teach, or what protests they attended,” Wang emphasized.

The controversy has also sparked a strong response from student and faculty advocacy groups, including UC Berkeley Students for Justice in Palestine, alongside hundreds of academics globally who have expressed their concerns in a letter addressed to University of California President James Milliken and UC Berkeley Chancellor Richard Lyons.

As this situation continues to unfold, the demand for transparency from UC Berkeley highlights the urgent need for public institutions to respect the rights of their communities. The implications of this investigation could set a precedent for how universities handle sensitive information in politically charged environments.

WHAT’S NEXT: Stakeholders are closely watching how UC Berkeley responds to CAIR’s request and whether further actions will be taken by students and faculty in the wake of this investigation. The outcome could have lasting effects on student rights and institutional trust across the nation.

Stay tuned for more updates as this story develops.