Wayne State University Uncovering thousands of internal emails about Palestine and Zionism, including those from its journalists, has exposed a chilling attempt to surveil pro-Palestinian voices on campus. The Anti-Defamation League (ADL), a Jewish civil rights and pro-Israel lobbying organization, quietly filed a sweeping Freedom of Information Act request with the university seeking these sensitive communications.
The ADL's FOIA request, obtained by Metro Times through an open records request, involved nearly 7,500 emails from thousands of faculty, staff, and administrators that referenced Palestine, Zionism, or the student group Students for Justice in Palestine. The search would include multiple departments within the university, including management and journalists at WDET, a public radio station owned and operated by Wayne State.
Critics of the ADL say this massive data collection effort is a thinly veiled attempt to intimidate and silence pro-Palestinian activists on campus, rather than genuinely seeking information about potential anti-Semitic activities. A professor, who asked not to be named for fear of retaliation, described the request as "a disgusting attempt to stifle free speech" that would stop at nothing to rid campuses of pro-Palestinians.
Wayne State officials have refused to comment on the FOIA request and did not confirm whether any records were subsequently released. The ADL never picked up the documents or paid the $6,052 charge for searching for the requested information, leaving the university with the bill.
This incident is part of a larger pattern of alleged overreach by the ADL in its efforts to combat what it perceives as anti-Semitism on college campuses. Critics argue that labeling pro-Palestinian activism as anti-Semitic is an abuse of power and suppresses legitimate criticism of Israel's policies.
Wayne State University has faced scrutiny for its handling of pro-Palestinian activism, including the brutal dismantling of a peaceful protest encampment in May 2024. A federal lawsuit filed by students, graduates, and parents alleges that the university violated protesters' constitutional rights.
The ADL has also been criticized for conflating legitimate protests with hate speech and issuing reports that give failing grades to universities where large pro-Palestinian demonstrations were held. These efforts have led to widespread concerns about free speech on college campuses nationwide.
In this context, the revelation of the ADL's FOIA request highlights the organization's perceived attempt to chill speech and silence critics of Israel. The incident has sparked calls for greater transparency and accountability from universities and organizations like the ADL.
The ADL's FOIA request, obtained by Metro Times through an open records request, involved nearly 7,500 emails from thousands of faculty, staff, and administrators that referenced Palestine, Zionism, or the student group Students for Justice in Palestine. The search would include multiple departments within the university, including management and journalists at WDET, a public radio station owned and operated by Wayne State.
Critics of the ADL say this massive data collection effort is a thinly veiled attempt to intimidate and silence pro-Palestinian activists on campus, rather than genuinely seeking information about potential anti-Semitic activities. A professor, who asked not to be named for fear of retaliation, described the request as "a disgusting attempt to stifle free speech" that would stop at nothing to rid campuses of pro-Palestinians.
Wayne State officials have refused to comment on the FOIA request and did not confirm whether any records were subsequently released. The ADL never picked up the documents or paid the $6,052 charge for searching for the requested information, leaving the university with the bill.
This incident is part of a larger pattern of alleged overreach by the ADL in its efforts to combat what it perceives as anti-Semitism on college campuses. Critics argue that labeling pro-Palestinian activism as anti-Semitic is an abuse of power and suppresses legitimate criticism of Israel's policies.
Wayne State University has faced scrutiny for its handling of pro-Palestinian activism, including the brutal dismantling of a peaceful protest encampment in May 2024. A federal lawsuit filed by students, graduates, and parents alleges that the university violated protesters' constitutional rights.
The ADL has also been criticized for conflating legitimate protests with hate speech and issuing reports that give failing grades to universities where large pro-Palestinian demonstrations were held. These efforts have led to widespread concerns about free speech on college campuses nationwide.
In this context, the revelation of the ADL's FOIA request highlights the organization's perceived attempt to chill speech and silence critics of Israel. The incident has sparked calls for greater transparency and accountability from universities and organizations like the ADL.
They think they can just swoop in, request all this info, and then not even bother to pay for it? That's some shady stuff right there. And let's be real, who is the ADL really trying to catch or gather info from? Pro-Palestinian activists? It sounds like a bunch of intimidation tactics to me 
. The fact that Wayne State officials refused to comment on the request and didn't even confirm if they released any records just adds to the whole "stifling free speech" vibe 
. We need more transparency and accountability from orgs like the ADL, not less 
.
I mean, shouldn't they be open about who's making all these requests? Like, what's their angle here? Is it really just about fighting anti-Semitism or is it something more? 
But on the other hand... shouldn't they be able to investigate these concerns if there's even a hint of something fishy going on? 
I guess it's just one of those grey areas where you can't really say what's right or wrong.
Ugh, my brain is all confused now 
, can you believe what's going on at Wayne State University?! They got bombarded with 7,500 emails about Palestine and Zionism and it's like they're trying to chill free speech on campus 
! The ADL is all like "we want info" but it's clear they just wanna stifle pro-Palestinian activists 
. I mean, what's next?! They gonna start monitoring our online activity too?! 
It's like they're trying to create a climate of fear on campuses nationwide 
.
.
. Will we be able to express our opinions without fear of reprisal? 
they're trying to silence pro-palestinian voices but it's just not gonna work, people are too smart for that 
i mean, what's next? them showing up at every student org meeting to see who's saying what about israel? no thanks, universities should be protecting free speech, not policing it 
This is so deep! The ADL is basically fishing for info on pro-Palestinian groups, which is super sketchy 