By Efe Ozkan

ISTANBUL (AA) - Staffers at Columbia University and Barnard College in New York City received text messages linking them to a survey which asked, in part, if they were Jewish or Israeli.

According to CNN, the survey came to employee personal devices on Monday from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, outlining that it was part of a federal investigation into workplace practices at the schools.

The second question on the survey asked respondents to check boxes for all that apply, inquiring if they are Jewish, Israeli, have Jewish/Israeli ancestry or practice Judaism.

Debbie Becher, an associate sociology professor at Barnard, said she was “shocked” to receive the text. “At first, I thought it was spam,” Becher, who is Jewish, told the broadcaster.

“I was alarmed that the government would contact me in this way about such a serious matter,” she said.

On April 15, Columbia sent an email to staff stating that it had received a subpoena from the EEOC “in connection with an investigation into alleged harassment of Jewish employees at the University from October 7, 2023, to the present.”

The university said it was complying with the government’s request for personal telephone numbers and mailing addresses for members of its staff.

As a college affiliated with Columbia, Barnard sent no forewarning to its community, according to CNN, but that it was aware of personal contact information being granted to the EEOC.

Barnard said the EEOC’s commissioner, Andrea Lucas, initiated an investigation last summer against the college concerning whether it “discriminated against Jewish employees on the basis of their national origin, religion, and/or race in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964,” according to the email.