Dignity for All Students
A student’s ability to learn and to meet high academic standards, and a school's ability to educate its students is compromised by incidents of discrimination or harassment including bullying, taunting, or intimidation. The Dignity Act makes it the official policy of New York State that all students in public schools have the right to an education free of discrimination and harassment.
The Dignity for All Students Act (DASA) prohibits all forms of discrmination/bullying/harassment that is based upon a person’s actual or perceived race, age, sexual orientation, use of a recognized guide dog, hearing dog or service dog, color, creed, national origin, ethnic group, religion, religious practice, sex, sexual orientation, gender or gender identity, or disability. Students are prohibited from the following behaviors:
- Discrimination, based on a person's actual or perceived race, age, sexual orientation, use of a recognized guide dog, hearing dog or service dog, color, creed, national origin, ethnic group, religion, religious practice, sex, sexual orientation, gender or gender identity, disability as a basis for treating another in a negative manner on school property or at a school function.
- Harassment, the creation of a hostile environment by conduct or by verbal threats, intimidation or abuse that has or would have the effect of unreasonably and substantially interfering with a student's education performance, opportunities or benefits, or mental, emotional or physical well-being based on a person's actual or perceived race, color, weight, national origin, political affiliation, ethnic group, religion, religious practice, martial or veteran status, use of a recognized guide dog, hearing dog or service dog, disability, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity or sex.
- Bullying and intimidation, which includes engaging in actions or statements that put an individual in fear of bodily harm and/or emotional discomfort; for example "play"fighting, extortion of money, overt teasing etc. Cyberbullying including the use of instant messaging, email, websites, chat rooms, text messaging, or by any other electronic means, when such use interferes with the operation of the school; or infringes upon the general health, safety and welfare of students or employees. This may included instances that occur outside of normal school hours.
- Sexual harassment, which includes unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, taking, sending or receiving sexually explicit videos, pictures or auditory recordings and other verbal or physical conduct or communication of a sexual nature.
The Dignity Act defines material incidents of harassment as a single incident or a series of related incidents where a student is subjected to harassment and/or discrimination by a student or school employee on school property or at a school function that creates a hostile environment by conduct, with or without physical contact and/or by verbal threats, intimidation or abuse, of such a severe or pervasive nature that:
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has or would have the effect of unreasonably interfering with a student's educational performance, opportunities or benefits, or mental, emotional, and/or physical well-being; or
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reasonably causes or would reasonably be expected to cause a student to fear for his or her physical safety.