House Judiciary Committee demands Brown University documents over discipline of student whistleblower
The House Judiciary Committee sent a request to Brown University, asking the institution to turn over all internal memos about a student who has been under fire for raising awareness about the extent of Brown’s administrative bureaucracy.
The request letter was sent on June 26 by Reps. Jim Jordan, Scott Fitzgerald, and Troy Nehls to Brown President Christina Paxson.
The House Judiciary Committee sent a request to Brown University, asking the institution to turn over all internal memos about Alex Shieh, the student who has been under fire for raising awareness about the extent of Brown’s administrative bureaucracy.
The request letter, sent on June 26 by Reps. Jim Jordan, Scott Fitzgerald, and Troy Nehls to Brown President Christina Paxson, expresses concern about the administration’s disciplinary actions against Shieh.
“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,” the letter states.
Shieh, a rising junior, previously testified before the committee to discuss the extent of Brown’s administrative bureaucracy and tuition costs.
In the letter, the legislators requested documents and communications between Brown officials about “Mr. Shieh’s investigative inquiry, Brown University’s subsequent investigation of Mr. Shieh, Brown University’s decision to file disciplinary charges against Mr. Shieh, or Brown University’s adjudication of Mr. Shieh’s charges.”
In a June 26 post to X, Shieh thanked the committee for “fighting for free speech and administrative accountability” and advocated investigating Brown’s president “to explain why student tuition dollars pays for her household assistant.”
Campus Reform has previously reported about Shieh, who was investigated for publishing information about Brown’s “DEI bureaucrats” on a website called Bloat@Brown earlier this year. Shieh’s investigation began after the Trump administration announced it would freeze $510 million in federal grants, partly over DEI concerns.
Later, Brown accused its conservative student newspaper, The Brown Spectator, with trademark violations. Shieh, a board member at the Spectator, accused the school of “retaliating” against him.
Shieh then testified before the House Judiciary Committee about Brown’s budget and his investigation in June.
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“Brown University charges students $93,064 per year in total cost of attendance, one of the highest in the country,” Shieh’s testimony stated. “Despite this, the university operates with a projected $46 million budget deficit for the 2025 fiscal year.”
“Employee salaries, wages and benefits are the largest category of university expenses, with a budget of $818 million, 43% of Brown’s total budget,” his testimony continued. Shieh specifically requested that the legislators protect against “institutional retaliation” by subpoenaing university documentation, which the committee has now done.
Campus Reform has contacted Brown University for comment. This article will be updated accordingly.
