Brown University sophomore Alex Shieh’s private Social Security number was leaked during a disciplinary investigation that began after he simply emailed staff questioning their roles in relation to high tuition costs.
Key Takeaways
- The House Judiciary Committee has demanded Brown University turn over internal documents related to their disciplinary investigation of sophomore Alex Shieh, who sent emails questioning staff roles and high tuition costs.
- Shieh was ultimately cleared of wrongdoing after using AI to analyze employee roles and categorize jobs into DEI, redundant, and “bulls–t” categories, partly motivated by President Trump’s executive orders on DEI policies.
- During the investigation, Brown University leaked Shieh’s Social Security number, raising serious privacy concerns beyond the initial free speech issues.
- The committee is concerned that Brown’s actions represent an attempt to suppress free speech and discourage inquiries into the university’s rising costs and administrative bloat.
- Brown claims the issue was about improper use of non-public data rather than free speech, but is cooperating with the committee’s investigation.
Student Disciplined After Questioning University Spending
Alex Shieh, a sophomore at Brown University, faced disciplinary action after sending an email to non-faculty employees questioning their daily activities to understand why tuition costs are so high. Using artificial intelligence tools, Shieh analyzed employee roles and created a database categorizing jobs into DEI, redundant, and “bulls–t” jobs. His investigation was partly motivated by President Trump’s executive orders addressing DEI policies in education. Despite only 20 out of 3,805 employees responding to his inquiry, with many responses described as hostile, the university initiated disciplinary proceedings against Shieh.
“Brown is charging me for misrepresentation — for saying I am affiliated with the Brown Spectator, which I am, because the Brown Spectator is an independent non-profit and not a registered student group,” said Alex Shieh.
Shieh further alleged: “Brown is also charging me for violating their IT policies for publishing Brown employee data, without specifying which provisions of the IT policy were violated.” The university maintained that their concerns were not about free speech but rather about improper use of non-public data and potential policy violations. Specifically, Shieh and The Brown Spectator faced charges for allegedly violating the university’s name, licensing, and trademark policies.
Congressional Investigation Into University’s Actions
The situation escalated when the House Judiciary Committee requested internal documents from Brown University related to Shieh’s case. The committee’s intervention came after Shieh testified before them regarding anticompetitive practices in higher education. Among the most serious concerns was the revelation that Shieh’s Social Security number was leaked during the university’s investigation, adding a significant privacy violation to the existing free speech concerns.
“We are concerned that Brown’s decision to file disciplinary charges against Mr. Shieh and hold a misconduct hearing may serve to suppress free speech and discourage others from coming forward and asking questions related to Brown’s rising costs,” stated the House Judiciary Committee.
The committee is specifically seeking documents related to Brown’s investigation and disciplinary actions against Shieh, as well as detailed information about how his personal information was compromised. They’ve expressed particular interest in understanding the “rationale for attempting to silence a student raising questions about how student and taxpayer dollars are being used.” The committee’s actions represent a significant escalation, suggesting potential legislative oversight of how universities handle student speech and privacy.
University Response and Broader Implications
Brown University has stated they are cooperating with the committee’s requests while maintaining that their decisions on tuition and financial aid are made independently. The case has attracted significant attention, including from tech entrepreneur Elon Musk, who commented “Unreal” on Shieh’s social media post about the disciplinary action. Notably, Shieh was ultimately cleared of wrongdoing after the hearing, though the damage to his privacy had already occurred.
“Brown University’s decision to file disciplinary charges against students like Alex Shieh, simply for looking into the school’s bloated bureaucracy and rising tuition costs, is a clear act of retaliation,” said Fitzgerald.
Shieh has indicated his plans to expand his investigation to other Ivy League schools and has released a tool to challenge DEI expenditures. He previously mentioned the ongoing House Judiciary Committee investigation into Ivy League schools for price-fixing and anticompetitive practices. This case highlights the growing tension between university administrations and conservative students questioning administrative bloat and ideological spending, particularly in elite institutions where annual tuition costs continue to rise dramatically despite massive endowments.
