Brown investigates student who sent DOGE-style email asking staff what they do in their roles
After receiving backlash for a DOGE-style email sent to thousands of Brown University staff members inquiring about what they do in their roles, a student is now under investigation by the institution.
On March 18, Alex Shieh shared a copy of the email he sent to nearly 4,000 Brown employees, which asked them to 'describe what tasks you performed in the past week.'
After receiving backlash for a DOGE-style (Department of Government Efficiency) email sent to thousands of Brown University staff members inquiring about what they do in their roles, a student is now under investigation by the institution.
On March 18, Alex Shieh shared a copy of the email he sent to nearly 4,000 Brown employees, which asked them to “describe what tasks you performed in the past week,” as well as “explain how Brown students would be impacted if your position was eliminated.”
Here you go Steve. pic.twitter.com/qEIzbmjUqZ
— Alex Shieh (@alexkshieh) March 18, 2025
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On March 27, the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) wrote that Shieh was under investigation by the university because he “emotionally harmed” staff members and “misrepresented” himself in the email.
The school reportedly told him to maintain the privacy of its investigation, and also threatened to revoke his access to university data systems should he not “return any confidential information.” FIRE has claims the Brown’s response “threatens to chill student reporting on campus.”
In an article days later, Shieh noted he has the “full-throated support” of FIRE, and that Brown’s conduct may have “run afoul of a Rhode Island state law that protects student journalists at private universities.”
”With sky-high tuition and famously stingy financial aid — not to mention an antitrust settlement for allegedly colluding with other Ivies to lowball on financial aid offers — the American Dream is being paywalled,” he wrote in his article. “If college administrators are this scared of a sophomore with a laptop, they should be terrified of what’s coming next.”
Shieh has also stated that just 20 employees responded to him, with some replying “f**k you,” “F**k off” and one that told him to “stick an entire cactus up [your] a*s.”
Here’s how Jose Mendoza, Event Specialist responded (https://t.co/ueBAhXBJpH) pic.twitter.com/FQEmpDf177
— Alex Shieh (@alexkshieh) March 18, 2025
The sophomore has also launched a website to further expose the “Bloat” within the Brown bureaucracy, including the “DEI bureaucrats who lost Brown University $510 million in federal funds.”
Campus Reform has contacted Brown University for comment. This article will be updated accordingly.