The Anti-Defamation League, a Jewish civil rights and pro-Israel lobbying organization, quietly filed a sweeping Freedom of Information Act request with Wayne State University seeking emails from thousands of faculty, staff, and administrators that referenced Palestine, Zionism, or the student group Students for Justice in Palestine.
The request, obtained by Metro Times through FOIA, generated nearly 7,500 emails involving more than 14,000 accounts, including management and journalists at WDET, the public radio station owned and operated in part by Wayne State.
But the ADL never picked up the records.
Critics say the request was designed to intimidate and surveil pro-Palestinian voices on campus.
“This is a disgusting attempt to stifle free speech,” one pro-Palestinian professor, who asked not to be named for fear of retaliation, tells Metro Times. “I’m absolutely appalled. The ADL will stop at nothing to rid campuses of pro-Palestinians.”
The February 2024 FOIA sought emails, instant messages, and other electronic communications dating back to January 2023 that referenced Students for Justice in Palestine, the phrase “From the River to the Sea,” or words such as “Zionist,” “Zionism,” “Palestine,” “Intifada,” or “antisemitism.”
Wayne State’s response indicated that the ADL’s search would include the office of the president, the provost, government and community affairs, marketing and communications, and Development and Alumni Affairs.
University officials said the FOIA produced roughly 7,500 emails, but the records required a review to determine if they contained any exempt information. Wayne State charged the ADL $6,052 for the search and required a 50% deposit. The ADL never paid, and the records were never disclosed.
The FOIA request was filed by ADL Chief Legal Officer Steven C. Sheinberg, who did not respond to messages for comment. The ADL also didn’t respond.
The ADL, founded in 1913 to combat antisemitism, has in recent years faced growing criticism from civil rights and free-speech advocates for labeling pro-Palestinian activism as antisemitic.
The ADL has called Students for Justice in Palestine one of America’s “Top 10 Anti-Israel Groups” and in March 2025 issued a “Campus Antisemitism Report Card” that critics said conflated legitimate protest with hate speech. The report gave failing grades to several universities where large pro-Palestinian demonstrations were held.
At Brown University in February 2024, dozens of students walked out of a talk by ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt, accusing him of misrepresenting criticism of Israel as antisemitism. And the ADL has previously called for federal investigations into campus activism that it claimed supported Hamas.
Advocates for pro-Palestinians say those tactics have led to university crackdowns on dissent nationwide.
Wayne State has come under heavy scrutiny for its handling of pro-Palestinian activism. In May 2024, the university oversaw the brutal dismantling of a peaceful pro-Palestinian encampment on campus. The administration has repeatedly refused to meet with supporters of Gaza and has broken up subsequent peaceful protests.
In June, a group of pro-Palestinian students, graduates, and a parent filed a federal lawsuit accusing the university of violating protesters’ constitutional rights.
The revelation that the ADL sought thousands of internal emails about Palestine and related topics and included WDET journalists is prompting new concerns about its chilling effect on speech.
“This wasn’t about protecting Jewish students,” says another professor, who was included in the FOIA request and asked not to be identified. “It was about silencing criticism of Israel.”
Wayne State officials did not comment on the FOIA request, and Metro Times couldn’t reach WDET for comment.
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Steve Neavling
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