A University-registered lobbyist opposed two New Jersey Senate Bills regarding legacy admissions and definitions of antisemitism and Islamophobia in the 2024 legislative session, according to lobbying records obtained by The Daily Princetonian.
Amid the ongoing scrutiny of higher education from the federal government, both bills would have had profound implications for Princeton’s admissions policies, free speech on campus, and sources of funding. The two bills were Senate Bill 3370, which bans preferential treatment for legacy students in college admissions, and Senate Bill 2937, which mandates that definitions of antisemitism and Islamophobia be included in state Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) policies, as well as policies for recipients of state funds.
Maura McManimon Fennessy, the lobbyist registered in Princeton’s disclosures, deferred comment to University communications.
“The University advocates with state lawmakers and their staff on issues of importance to higher education, with the goal of enabling the University to continue pursuing its research and teaching mission,” University Spokesperson Jennifer Morrill wrote to the ‘Prince.’
Ending legacy admissions
S3370, introduced in June 2024, seeks to prohibit institutions of higher learning from giving preferential consideration to students with legacy status or familiar relationships with the institution’s donors during the admissions process.
Senators Shirley Turner and Britnee Timberlake are the bill’s sponsors. In a conversation with the ‘Prince,’ Senator Turner said that S3370 responds to the Supreme Court 2023 ruling that dismantled affirmative action and race-conscious admission programs. The ruling stated that with affirmative action, universities made admissions decisions based on “the color of [an applicant’s] skin,” rather than their skills and merit.
“I question how you can determine merit, if the students of alumni and donors have preferential treatment when it comes to being admitted to the more prestigious colleges,” Turner said. “If we eliminate the legacy component, it would help level the playing field, because generations of students of color, as well as first generation students, have not had the kinds of opportunities to gain access to the more elite colleges.”
The ‘Prince’ previously reported that the Class of 2028 — the first class admitted following the Supreme Court ruling — experienced little change in racial diversity.
“We have carefully adhered to the requirements set out by the Supreme Court,” Morrill said in a statement. “Before the ruling, race was just one of many factors considered in our holistic admission process that involves a highly individualized assessment of the applicant’s talents, achievements and potential to contribute to learning at Princeton; now race plays no role in admission decisions.”
In response to a question regarding Princeton’s opposition to S3370, Morrill directed the ‘Prince’ to a March 2024 report from a committee convened by the Board of Trustees to study the University’s admissions, including legacy preference. The committee ruled that it would support a “continued, limited use” of the “tie-breaker legacy preference,” citing the small number of applicants affected by the legacy preference, the strength of the legacy applicant pool, and “the importance of the University’s bonds with its alumni.”
The committee added that the preference receives “disproportionate attention” in public conversations, claiming that legacy preference is used as a “tie-breaker” between “equally well-qualified applicants in limited instances.” Princeton denies around 70 percent of legacy applicants in any given year, and the “overwhelming majority” of alumni children are “admitted regardless of the legacy preference and before any tiebreaker is considered,” according to the report.
“On average, the preference benefits fewer than 30 students per year, or less than two percent of admitted students,” the report stated. It cautioned against any expansion of the policy.
Including definitions of antisemitism and Islamophobia
S2937, introduced in March 2024, would add definitions of antisemitism and Islamophobia in New Jersey’s state DEIB policies, and it would require recipients of state funds to do the same.
S2937’s primary sponsors are Senators James Beach and Gordon Johnson. Neither responded to requests for comment.
The bill uses the definition of antisemitism adopted in May 2016 by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA), which states that “Antisemitism is a certain perception of Jews, which may be expressed as hatred toward Jews. Rhetorical and physical manifestations of antisemitism are directed toward Jewish or non-Jewish individuals and/or their property, toward Jewish community institutions and religious facilities.”
In 2022, Princeton’s Undergraduate Student Government (USG) declined to sponsor a referendum that would have proposed adopting the IHRA’s definition of antisemitism over concerns that the definition could chill speech critical of Israel.
Harvard University has faced criticism for its recent adoption of the IHRA definition in settling two lawsuits over antisemitism.
The Senate bill also proposes the adoption of the definition of Islamophobia, provided by the United Nations, which states that “Islamophobia is a fear, prejudice and hatred of Muslims that leads to provocation, hostility and intolerance by means of threatening, harassment, abuse, incitement and intimidation of Muslims and non-Muslims, both in the online and offline world. Motivated by institutional, ideological, political and religious hostility that transcends into structural and cultural racism, it targets the symbols and markers of being a Muslim.”
Critics of the bill have voiced concerns about how defining antisemitism and Islamophobia in official policies may lead to restrictions on free speech and freedom of expression.
For example, in a March 2024 statement regarding the bill, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of N.J. condemned “bias-based harassment,” but stated that “as proponents of free speech, we should be concerned whenever the government forces people to accept its view of the world.” The statement added that the IHRA definition of antisemitism risked “conflating protected political speech with unprotected discrimination.”
The University does not currently contain a definition of antisemitism or Islamophobia in its nondiscrimination statement or equal opportunity policy. Its policies “do not reference specific definitions of bias,” Morrill wrote.
“We believe that is the more effective way to write anti-discrimination policies, as it avoids unnecessary complexity and disputes over contested definitions,” Morrill wrote. “Incorporating specific definitions, such as the IHRA antisemitism definition, into disciplinary codes could also introduce serious conflicts with free speech and academic freedom.”
Elisabeth Stewart is a senior News writer and assistant News editor emeritus for the ‘Prince.’ She typically covers religious life, student identity and campus life, and eating clubs and co-ops.
Please direct any corrections to corrections[at]dailyprincetonian.com
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