Brown student exposing Ivy League bloat gives House testimony, urges Congress to ‘mandate transparency’

EXCLUSIVE - Brown University pupil Alex Shieh, who was precocious cleared of wrongdoing aft helium sent field employees a DOGE-like email, is testifying Wednesday earlier the House Judiciary Committee connected rising costs astatine elite universities. 

"Brown University, similar galore of its Ivy League peers, presents itself arsenic a selective meritocratic institution," reads Shieh’s testimony, obtained exclusively by Fox News Digital.  

"But according to data from The New York Times, the median household income of Brown students is implicit $200,000 — the highest among Ivy League universities," his prepared connection continues. "Forty-seven percent of the pupil assemblage comes from the apical 5% of earners successful the U.S. A survey by Brown University economist John Friedman confirms that debased and middle-income students stay importantly underrepresented astatine selective colleges including Brown, adjacent aft controlling for world qualifications." 

BROWN UNIVERSITY IN GOP CROSSHAIRS AFTER STUDENT'S DOGE-LIKE EMAIL KICKS OFF FRENZY

Brown University pupil Alex Shieh, who was precocious cleared of wrongdoing aft helium sent field employees a DOGE-like email, is testifying Wednesday earlier the House Judiciary Committee connected rising costs astatine elite universities. (Photo: Zoom screenshot/Photo by Kyle Mazza/Anadolu via Getty Images)

Shieh, a rising inferior who was cleared of wrongdoing by the assemblage connected May 14, had antecedently angered schoolhouse officials by sending a DOGE-like email to non-faculty employees identifying himself arsenic a writer for The Brown Spectator and asking them what they bash each time to effort to find wherefore the school's tuition has gotten truthful expensive.

The Brown Spectator, a right-leaning work which has a committee of 3 people, including Shieh, was revived this twelvemonth aft it ceased work successful 2014. 

The committee members faced a disciplinary proceeding connected May 7 implicit allegations that they violated Brown University’s name, licensing and trademark policies. 

Shieh and the Spectator faced scrutiny from the assemblage aft Shieh began investigating positions helium deemed redundant aft reviewing 3,805 non-faculty employees who worked astatine Brown and emailing them to ask, "What bash you bash each day?" 

"As an investigative newsman for The Brown Spectator, I launched Bloat@Brown, a website that utilized AI to analyse administrative unit roles and necessity, and Trialhouse.com, a website that performed akin investigation connected Columbia University, Cornell University, and the University of Pennsylvania," Shieh said successful his prepared remarks. 

"I emailed each head astatine Brown with a petition for comment," Shieh added. "Only 20 responded. One…  replied with ‘F--k off.’ Soon after, the assemblage instructed employees not to respond, and the tract was hacked. My societal information fig was leaked. Associate Dean Kirsten Wolfe initiated a disciplinary process against me, archetypal nether charges of ‘emotional/psychological harm,’ ‘misrepresentation,’ ‘invasion of privacy,’ and aboriginal for alleged exertion argumentation and alleged trademark argumentation violations." 

Shieh sent a follow-up email to Brown administrators connected May 27, which Shieh antecedently told Fox News Digital was "one past accidental to warrant their roles."

IVY LEAGUE STUDENT ACCUSED OF CAUSING 'EMOTIONAL HARM' TO NON-FACULTY STAFF FOR SENDING DOGE-LIKE EMAIL

Shieh and The Brown Spectator faced scrutiny from the assemblage aft Shieh began investigating positions helium deemed redundant aft reviewing 3,805 non-faculty employees who worked astatine Brown and emailing them to ask, "What bash you bash each day?"  (Google Maps)

In his prepared remarks, Shieh said that tuition and fees astatine the Ivy League person exceeded $90,000 per year, and that the schoolhouse is "projected to tally a $46 cardinal deficit for the existent fiscal year."

"According to Brown’s ain disclosures, the assemblage employs 3,805 full-time non-instructional staff," Shieh volition accidental successful his testimony. "With 7,229 undergraduate students, this translates to 1 non-teaching unit subordinate for each 1.9 undergraduates. These unit bash not see module members, but alternatively administrators, consultants, and enactment staff, galore successful roles of unclear necessity." 

Shieh is urging the House Judiciary Committee to look into wherefore his schoolhouse has go truthful expensive. 

His recommendations see subpoenaing Brown University President Christina Paxson "for grounds and documents related to administrative growth, fiscal assistance coordination, and retaliation." 

He besides calls for pupil journalists and whistleblowers to beryllium protected from "institutional retaliation," a reappraisal of fiscal assistance methodology utilized by Ivy League schools, transparency successful "administrative-to-student staffing ratios and compensation for nonprofit universities receiving national funds," and for higher learning institutions that person ample tuition and spending increases to beryllium audited. 

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Sayles Hall and Campus, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island.  (Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

"Thank you for your attraction to these matters," Shieh volition accidental successful his prepared remarks. "I respectfully impulse this Subcommittee to enactment successful defence of students, families, and the American Dream."

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Fox News Digital reached retired to Brown University for comment, but did not instantly person a response.