Academic freedom at risk due to potential intensified restrictions warned by UC Berkeley professor
University of California, Berkeley, Discloses Names in Federal Antisemitism Investigation
The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley) has disclosed the names of 160 students, faculty, and staff to Trump administration officials as part of a federal investigation into allegations of antisemitism on campus.
According to a statement to NPR, UC Berkeley spokesperson Janet Gilmore confirmed that records of complaints about "alleged incidents of antisemitism and discrimination" were provided to the Office for Civil Rights at the Department of Education. The university cooperated with the investigation, sending documents and informing people if their names were in the documents.
One of those named is Ussama Makdisi, a history professor and leading scholar of modern Arab history at UC Berkeley. Makdisi teaches Palestinian history, Middle Eastern history, and Arab history. He has been vocal in his criticism of Israeli policies and expressed concern that the federal investigation is a chilling of speech and academic freedom.
Makdisi stated that the point of a university is to have a discussion and debate history, politics, and policy, but that this is under threat right now. He compared the current crackdown on academic freedom to the McCarthyist period and the Salem Witch Trials. Makdisi believes that every student should have the right to learn without censorship and with freedom.
Makdisi is dismayed by what has happened to students and the campus climate in terms of being able to speak out about basic issues. He mentioned that there is a genocide taking place in Gaza, and a United Nations Commission of Inquiry concluded that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza.
In an interview with NPR's Leila Fadel, Makdisi discussed academic freedom, censorship, and campus climate. He expressed concern that the federal investigation into allegations of antisemitism on campus is a chilling of academic freedom and the ability of students to express themselves. He believes that the Berkeley administration is under huge pressure and is dismayed by what has happened to the campus climate.
UC Berkeley stated that it is committed to transparency and supporting its campus community while complying with federal investigations. The disclosure comes as the federal government continues its campaign to investigate elite universities, launched after campus protests over Israel's war in Gaza. On Tuesday, a U.N. commission found that Israel has committed genocide in the Gaza Strip.
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