The California Faculty Association (CFA) has filed a lawsuit against the California State University (CSU) system. The lawsuit, initiated on October 10, challenges the disclosure of personal information of 2,600 CSU Los Angeles campus employees to the federal government.
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The data release, prompted by an antisemitism investigation, has sparked a contentious debate over privacy rights and institutional compliance with federal mandates.
Overview of the California Faculty Association Lawsuit Against CSU
The lawsuit seeks a judicial order to prevent CSU administrators from sharing faculty members’ personal data without prior notification and consent from the affected individuals.
This legal action follows CSU Los Angeles’s acknowledgment that it had complied with a federal subpoena from the Trump administration. The subpoena was part of an investigation by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission into alleged antisemitism on campus.
The issue traces back to antisemitism complaints that surfaced during student protests against Israel’s military actions in Gaza. These protests followed Hamas’ attack on Israel on October 7, 2023. CSU Los Angeles, which had hosted a Gaza Solidarity Encampment, became a focal point for such complaints. Additionally, students from San Jose State, Sacramento State, San Francisco State, and CSU Long Beach participated in a hunger strike opposing the Israel-Hamas war, although it remains unclear if these actions triggered any formal complaints.
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CSU’s decision to comply with the subpoena has drawn criticism from the CFA.
“The CSU leadership is out of step with most Californians, and most people in the nation,” commented Margarita Berta-Ávila, CFA President in a press release. She emphasized the need for CSU to protect faculty, students, and academic freedom, criticizing the administration’s response as capitulation to what she termed a “witch hunt” by the Trump administration.
California State University’s Legal Obligations and Response to the Lawsuit
In response to the lawsuit, CSU issued a statement acknowledging its awareness of the legal proceedings while affirming its commitment to employee privacy. The university highlighted its obligation to comply with federal laws, warning that non-compliance could lead to federal court sanctions.
CSU clarified that although it disclosed certain employee data, it had successfully limited the scope of the information shared, excluding home addresses and detailed separation reasons.
The university underscored that it only provided the minimum information legally required and had previously filed a petition to modify the subpoena, citing privacy and undue burden concerns.
This lawsuit against CSU echoes a similar dispute at the University of California, where the disclosure of faculty and student names to the Trump administration sparked widespread controversy. The backlash led to calls for the removal of UC President James Milliken.
