Federal officials have opened inquiries into California State University for allegations of antisemitism and claims of racial discrimination tied to a diversity hiring initiative.
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has launched an investigation into claims of antisemitism and was reaching out to employees to gather evidence, Chancellor Mildred García said in a message to the entire CSU community on Friday that was seen by Bloomberg.
The U.S. Education Department’s Office for Civil Rights is examining CSU’s past participation in The PhD Project — a nonprofit that works to diversify business education — over claims of racial discrimination.
The Los Angeles Times was first to report on the inquiries.
Federal investigators had subpoenaed Cal State LA for employees’ personal contact information, the newspaper reported. The campus, one of 22 in the CSU system, hosted a Gaza Solidarity Encampment during nationwide protests over Israel’s war in Gaza.
“One of our 22 campuses, Cal State LA, received a discrimination complaint (antisemitism) in 2024 and is working with the EEOC to resolve that matter,” according to a statement from CSU. “As part of that campus-specific process, Cal State LA received a subpoena from the EEOC for contact information for its employees. This review is still ongoing. This is the only subpoena that the CSU has received.”
The Justice Department and the EEOC is also pursuing similar investigations on antisemitism and discrimination across the University of California as well.
García said CSU has always complied with state and federal law and doesn’t give preferential treatment based on race or religion. The university is cooperating with the federal inquiries, she added.
CSU participated in The PhD Project for university job postings until 2024, a university spokesperson said in a statement without explaining why it ended the association.
Topics California Education