CAIR-LA Demands Pomona College Refuse to Disclose Student Records To Federal Government, Protect Student Privacy

(LOS ANGELES, CA – 4/3/2025) – The Greater Los Angeles Area office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-LA) is demanding that Pomona College leadership refuse to comply with requests from the federal government to disclose private disciplinary records and identifying information of students who participated in anti-genocide protests and activity on campus.

CAIR-LA also calls on the college’s leadership to take proactive steps to protect its Palestinian, Muslim, Arab, and Jewish students who engage in pro-Palestinian activism. 

SEE: Pomona says it will turn over student disciplinary records to Congress 

On Wednesday, April 2, CAIR-LA sent a letter to Pomona College President Dr. Gabrielle Starr, Acting President Dr. Robert Gaines, Chief Financial Officer Jeff Roth, and Board of Trustees Chair Janet Inskeep Benton, urging them to ensure that private student records are not unlawfully disclosed. 

Last month, the U.S. House Committee on Education and Workforce Development requested that Pomona College turn over documents related to disciplinary actions taken against students involved in two pro-Palestinian protests on the college’s campus last year. The Committee also requested a list of all student disciplinary cases “associated with antisemitic incidents.” The request defines “antisemitic incidents” so broadly as to potentially include cases involving criticisms, critiques, and protests against the state of Israel and would include disciplinary cases that were without merit.  

Compliance with these requests would violate the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and Pomona College’s own policies on student record privacy. On March 30, Acting President Gaines issued a statement acknowledging privacy concerns and the school’s requirement to preserve and protect students’ records under FERPA.  

The Committee’s request is part of a larger effort by the federal government to target and punish students who have expressed views with which they disagree. CAIR and its New York Chapter recently filed a federal lawsuit against Columbia University and the Committee regarding the request to disclose thousands of student records. 

In a statement, CAIR-LA Legal Director Amr Shabaik, Esq., said: 

“Across the country, we have repeatedly seen universities and colleges fail in their legal obligations to protect their Palestinian, Muslim, and Arab students. Pomona College must stand firm against any attempt to compromise student privacy by disclosing records to the federal government, which has explicitly stated the purpose of these requests is to target, shame, and expose students who have publicly spoken in support of Palestinian human rights.  

“Compliance with these Congressional requests would not only be a gross violation of student privacy but also further establish a dangerous precedent that undermines First Amendment protections nationwide. We are encouraged by Pomona’s public statements with respect to the privacy of its students, and we continue to call on Pomona leadership to act in their students’ best interests and protect their fundamental rights to speech and assembly.”  

SEE ALSO:  

• CAIR-CA Releases New Report Examining the Suppression of Students’ First Amendment Rights on College Campuses 
• Hostile: How Universities Target Anti-Genocide Protesters While Enabling Anti-Palestinian Racism and Islamophobia 

Pomona College has a well-documented history of discrimination against pro-Palestinian views. CAIR-LA previously condemned Pomona College for its censorship of student protesters, including suspending 10 students for allegedly participating in a protest earlier this month calling for the college’s divestment from Israel’s genocide in Gaza.  

In November 2024, CAIR designated Pomona College as an “institution of particular concern” due to its creation of a hostile campus environment for Palestinian, Muslim, Arab, and Jewish students, staff, and faculty opposing Israel’s genocide of the Palestinian people in Gaza. 

CAIR-LA is Southern California’s largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. Its mission is to enhance the understanding of Islam, protect civil rights, promote justice and empower American Muslims. 

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CONTACT: CAIR-LA Digital Communications Manager Enjy El-Kadi, (714) 851-4851 or eelkadi@cair.com; CAIR-LA Communications Coordinator Madi Morse-Hameed, mmorse-hameed@cair.com