HARRISBURG — Amid protests over the war in Gaza, Gov. Josh Shapiro has quietly revised his administration’s code of conduct to bar state employees from engaging in “scandalous or disgraceful” behavior — actions that could lead to discipline or termination, Spotlight PA has learned.

The vaguely worded update, which went into effect last week without the public fanfare of some executive orders, is raising alarm among First Amendment advocates concerned that it could be used to unconstitutionally curtail free speech. It has also heightened fears among pro-Palestinian and Muslim American groups that employees who express opinions that differ from the Democratic governor’s stance on the war could be unfairly punished.

In a May 8 email to cabinet secretaries, a Shapiro administration official wrote that the need for “moral clarity is especially pronounced today, as antisemitism, Islamophobia, and other forms of hate speech are increasing across not only Pennsylvania, but nationally and globally.”

“The administration supports free speech, consistent with the First Amendment, but that speech may never incite violence, encourage people to violate the law, or harass others,” wrote Neil R. Weaver, who heads the Office of Administration. “Hate speech,” Weaver wrote, can take many forms, from “social media posts, to boycotts, to graffiti, to public confrontations.”