CSU, UC give troves of staffer data to feds

Universities face backlash after sharing information with the Trump administration.

- BY JAWEED KALEEM AND DANIEL MILLER

GENARO MOLINA Los Angeles Times CALIFORNIA universities are facing heat for giving employees' information to the Trump administration.

California universities are facing intense backlash for handing over employees' personal contact information to the Trump administration as it investigates allegations of campus antisemitism, amping up tensions over government incursions into higher education.

At Cal State, a faculty union filed suit Friday in state court after learning the personal phone numbers and email addresses of 2,600 Los Angeles campus employees were turned over to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, which is investigating employee complaints of campus antisemitism. In addition, the EEOC is contacting Jewish faculty across the 22-campus system, prompting campus demonstrations against cooperating with President Trump.

At UC Berkeley, protesters recently converged on campus after University of California leaders said they released files from their civil rights office and UC police incident reports containing the names and contact information of 160 faculty and staff to the Education Department, which is also investigating alleged campus antisemitism.

UC-wide faculty senate leaders are demanding to know whether there have been other campus disclosures. UC has not publicly announced similar actions outside Berkeley but has not denied the possibility.

Gov. Gavin Newsom has intervened. The governor said he received a report last week from UC leadership on the data release that made a "compelling case" that UC was legally required to share information with the government. Newsom said he was still "reviewing" the report. The governor also said he may similarly scrutinize California State University's actions.