October 2, 2025 - SACRAMENTO – Senator Sasha Renée Pérez (D-Pasadena), Chair of the Senate Education Committee, has issued the following statement on the Trump Administration’s actions to investigate the California State University (CSU) over allegations of antisemitism and racial discrimination:

“The Trump Administration has initiated several targeted attacks at our institutions of higher education and now it appears that our California State University system is the latest target of his modern-day McCarthyism. 

“Trump’s aggressive and overly broad demands for information are intended to create a chilling effect on academic freedom. He is weaponizing legitimate concerns for political gain in order to create division and undo the progress we have made to expand access to and diversify our education system.

“It is imperative for the CSU to take all legal steps to resist divulging employee’s private information. This protection must also extend to students. This week, a federal judge ruled that the President’s aggressive actions targeting foreign students for pro-Palestinian activism violated the First Amendment and that the policy chilled political speech and was ideological retaliation. 

“Racial discrimination, such as antisemitism, is not just wrong – it’s illegal and our educational institutions have worked to implement laws to prevent such behaviors and restore justice when harms have occurred.” 

“I will be watching these developments closely to ensure any federal inquiry is handled in a fair and fact-based manner.”

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Senator Sasha Renée Pérez is Chair of the Senate Education Committee and represents the 25th Senate District that includes the communities of Glendale, Pasadena, Alhambra, Altadena, Arcadia, Claremont, Glendora, La Cañada Flintridge, La Crescenta-Montrose, Monrovia, Monterey Park, Rosemead, San Gabriel, San Marino, Sierra Madre, South Pasadena, Temple City, Fontana, Rancho Cucamonga, Upland, and San Antonio Heights.

Source: Senator Sasha Renée Pérez