Maybe it’s just my neck of the woods, but I don’t actually know any Jewish people offended by being called a Jew. But that’s not the hill I’m going to die on so I’m happy to say Jewish people/Jewish-Americans instead.
The department did not sanction this and we do not have an official department policy on this. In fact, the department has purposely stayed mum.
It’s worth noting that several of the people- both grad students and faculty- in AMAS (Arab & Muslim American Studies), part of the American Culture department that John is in, have received threatening emails and telephone calls. It’s one of the reasons that the department has stayed quiet, hoping it would go away.