Recently, UCOP’s Office of General Counsel turned over documents containing the names of 160 faculty, staff, and students to the Education Department's Office of Civil Rights from UC Berkeley. It has since been reported that other UC campuses have been releasing personally identifying information to OCR without even informing their constituents.

Your voice matters

How do Senate faculty at the UC system feel about this names release? We want to know.

Share your story below and help shape CUCFA's response to these events.

Context of the Federal Investigation

UC Berkeley’s compliance with the request to turn over materials identifying individuals by name is especially troubling in light of the US Attorney General’s ongoing investigation of what she refers to as “the greater UC system” in her letter of notice to UCOP that UCLA has violated Title VI. We know that UCOP and the Regents are currently negotiating with federal officials over how to “correct” non-compliance with Title VI “by informal means.” We worry that in the context of the Trump administration’s attempts to extort $1.2 billion, UCOP might feel compelled to provide information being requested in bad faith.

It's quite striking that, even as UCOP has informed on individuals to a degree not required by law, it has, at the very same time, refused to provide to CUCFA a copy of the Aug 8, 2025 demand letter of the Justice Department currently being discussed. In denying the request, UCOP claimed “a necessity for preserving the confidentiality of the information that outweighs the necessity for disclosure in the interest of justice.” Has the $1.2 billion threat tipped the scales of that assessment?

Defending Academic Freedom

The defense of academic freedom will require the concerted and continued commitment of all members of our university. Whether or not you are an active FA member, this question concerns you. Tell us your thoughts.