A federal judge on Tuesday ordered the University of Pennsylvania to hand over records about Jewish employees on campus to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission as part of an investigation into antisemitic discrimination.

U.S. District Judge Gerald Pappert said the EEOC is constitutionally authorized to collect the information from Penn and that the agency "needs the opportunity to talk to them directly to learn if they have evidence of discrimination." The judge mostly upheld a federal subpoena seeking the records.

However, Pappert placed some limitations on the disclosure requirements. The university does not have to reveal any employee's affiliation with specific Jewish-related organizations, nor must it provide information about three particular groups. The judge also emphasized that employees can refuse to participate in the EEOC investigation.

The subpoena requests lists of Jewish faculty, students and organizations along with their contact information. The government's effort to collect names and phone numbers of Jewish people on campus has raised concerns among some about how the information will be used.

The EEOC investigation stems from allegations of antisemitic discrimination at the university. The University of Pennsylvania did not immediately respond to requests for comment about the judge's decision.

The ruling allows federal investigators to move forward with gathering information they say is necessary to examine potential discrimination claims at the Philadelphia-based Ivy League institution.