UC Berkeley has provided the US government with the name of 160 students and teachers amid their ‘potential connection to reports of alleged antisemitism’, as part of a federal investigation.
The San Francisco Chronicle reports that those whose details were given to the Trump-controlled Department of Education includes theorist Judith Butler. They each received a letter addressed ‘Dear member of the Berkeley community’, outlining how they had been flagged with the government’s Office of Civil Rights, which ‘required production of comprehensive documents, including files and reports related to alleged antisemitic incidents.’
Last month the US federal government halted $584 million in federal research grants to Berkley’s parent institution over apparent mishandling of antisemitism – incidents which mostly relate to criticism of Israel’s military action in Palestine. After legal action, $83 million of that funding has since been restored.
In a letter Butler wrote to their employer’s legal office, shared with the Chronicle, the veteran writer stated ‘none of us have been told what the substance of the accusation is, and there is no indication that we can discover the details of the accusation.’
‘If my name, or the names of any of my colleagues who received this letter, are on a list, they can be used in whatever way that (federal) office and that government deems appropriate.’
‘We should not be naive. Will those of us named now be branded on a government list? Will our travel be restricted? Will our email communications be surveilled?’
