A federal judge in Philadelphia ruled Tuesday that the University of Pennsylvania must comply with a subpoena issued by a U.S. civil rights agency seeking information related to Jewish students, faculty, and campus organizations, as part of an investigation into alleged antisemitism.

U.S. District Judge Gerald Pappert rejected arguments from the university, along with affiliated faculty and student groups, that complying with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s request would effectively force the school to produce “lists of ‌Jews,” which they claimed would violate constitutional protections and potentially endanger individuals.

In his ruling, Pappert emphasized the legitimacy of the federal inquiry, writing that the EEOC “has an important interest in investigating the charge of discrimination and the subpoena is substantially related to that interest.”

He also criticized comparisons made by the university and its supporters, stating it was “unfortunate and inappropriate” to liken the EEOC’s investigation into antisemitism to the Holocaust or to the Nazis’ creation of “lists of Jews.”

The judge directed the university to turn over the requested information, though he specified that it must not include details identifying any employee’s affiliation with particular organizations. He noted that the EEOC had already withdrawn its request for information about ties to Jewish campus groups.

Neither the EEOC nor the Pennsylvania chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union, which represents the faculty and student organizations involved, immediately issued a response to the ruling.

According to court filings, the EEOC said the university had refused to provide key materials, including complaints filed by Jewish employees, rosters of Jewish-affiliated campus groups, and the identities of individuals connected to the school’s Jewish Studies program.

The agency argued that without this information, it cannot effectively reach individuals who may have experienced antisemitic conduct or evaluate whether the university responded appropriately.

The EEOC also noted that while the university employs roughly 20,000 people and did provide some materials, it turned over only three complaints from Jewish faculty members dating back to November 2022, citing confidentiality concerns for withholding additional records.

Penn, for its part, said it had already submitted nearly 900 pages of documentation and offered to notify employees about the investigation and how they could contact federal officials. However, it maintained that it would not release personal information about Jewish employees without their consent.

The investigation is part of a broader effort by President Donald Trump’s administration to scrutinize colleges and universities it says are promoting “woke” ideologies, including criticism of Israel and support for transgender rights.

In a separate matter, Penn agreed in July to prohibit transgender women from competing in women’s sports and to remove records and titles they had earned, resolving another federal discrimination inquiry.

Last year, the Justice Department established a multi-agency task force to investigate antisemitism on college campuses, and the U.S. Department of Education has opened probes into alleged antisemitic harassment at five institutions.

The EEOC, which recently shifted to a Republican majority after the Senate confirmed a Trump nominee to a vacant seat, has played a role in several of these cases, including an investigation into Columbia University that resulted in a $200 million settlement. Columbia denied any wrongdoing.