Paul Barsness Quoted in Bloomberg Law on EEOC Subpoena Limits

Bradley attorney Paul Barsness was quoted in Bloomberg Law on the legal fight between the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and the University of Pennsylvania.

Barsness expects the court to lean in favor of the EEOC’S authority to obtain information.

“I would be surprised if the court said, ‘you can’t get any information to investigate this,’” he said, adding that a complete shutdown of the subpoena is unlikely.

According to Barness, the core issue is the scope and safeguards of the EEOC’s request, not its legitimacy. The judge may allow the investigation to proceed but impose restrictions. “The bigger question is, are there going to be additional confidentiality obligations imposed, are there going to be limits of information that has to be turned over?”

Barsness explained a more compelling argument for UPenn may be the pushback from Jewish faculty and student groups. “Normally we would assume the government is acting on behalf of these individuals and if they are the ones saying they don’t want the information out, it could imply the government’s insistence is indicative of improper purpose,” he said.

The full article, “Judge to Weigh Limiting EEOC’s UPenn Jewish Staff List Request,” was published by Bloomberg Law on March 9, 2026.