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Dignity for All Students Act (DASA)
DASA School Based Bullying Prevention Team
Each school building has a Bullying Prevention School Based Team. The school faculty/staff members that make up the committee share the same goal - to make their school building a safe and inviting environment that inspires social, emotional and academic learning. Members are committed to develop and implement programs that reflect citizenship, civility and character.
If your child is being bullied, witnesses bullying or is responsible for the bullying, they can speak to the Dignity Act Coordinators (DAC) for support. If you as a parent or guardian are informed or witness a bullying incident, please contact the DAC for your child's school building. Your cooperation and support are very much needed and appreciated.
DASA defines harassment and bullying as the creation of a hostile environment by conduct or by threats, intimidation, or abuse, including cyberbullying. This includes threats, intimidation, and abuse that occurs verbally, non-verbally, or on any form of electronic communication. A violation of the DASA law includes behaviors that:
- Has or would have the effect of unreasonably and substantially interfering with a student's educational performance, opportunities or benefits, or mental, emotional or physical well-being;
- reasonably causes or would reasonably be expected to cause a student to fear for his or her physical safety;
- reasonably causes or would reasonably be expected to cause physical injury or emotional harm to a student;
- occurs off school property and creates or would foreseeably create a risk of substantial disruption within the school environment, where it is foreseeable that the conduct, threats, intimidation or abuse might reach school property.
DASA explicitly mandates the reporting of all incidents of harassment, bullying, and/or discrimination based on, but not limited to, a person’s race, color, weight, nationality, ethnicity, religion, disability, sexual orientation, gender (which includes gender identity and/or expression), or sex. This includes any act(s) of harassment, bullying, cyberbullying, and/or discrimination of students by other students as well as school personnel.
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The Dignity for All Students Act (The Dignity Act) was established with the broad legislative intent to provide a school environment free of discrimination and harassment.
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The Commissioner shall promulgate regulations to assist schools in implementing this legislation.
The Commissioner shall create procedures under which material incidents of discrimination and harassment on school grounds or at a school function are reported to the department on an annual basis.
The Commissioner shall provide direction which may include development of model policies related to preventing discrimination and harassment. -
Develop policies intended to create a school environment that is free from discrimination or harassment.
Develop guidelines for school training programs to discourage discrimination or harassment that are designed to:
Raise awareness and sensitivity of school employees to potential discrimination or harassment and;
To enable employees to prevent and respond to discrimination or harassment.
Develop guidelines relating to the development of non-discriminatory instructional and counseling methods and require that at least one staff member be trained to handle human relations issues. -
Identified in the legislation are those who are subjected to intimidation or abuse based on actual or perceived race, color, weight, national origin, ethnic group, religion, religious practice, disability, sexual orientation, gender or sex.
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A plain language copy of the board approved Code of Conduct must be made available to the public.
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DASA defines harassment and bullying as the creation of a hostile environment by conduct or by threats, intimidation, or abuse, including cyberbullying. This includes threats, intimidation, and abuse that occurs verbally, non-verbally, or on any form of electronic communication. A violation of the DASA law includes behaviors that:
- Has or would have the effect of unreasonably and substantially interfering with a student's educational performance, opportunities or benefits, or mental, emotional or physical well-being;
- reasonably causes or would reasonably be expected to cause a student to fear for his or her physical safety;
- reasonably causes or would reasonably be expected to cause physical injury or emotional harm to a student;
- occurs off school property and creates or would foreseeably create a risk of substantial disruption within the school environment, where it is foreseeable that the conduct, threats, intimidation or abuse might reach school property.
DASA explicitly mandates the reporting of all incidents of harassment, bullying, and/or discrimination based on, but not limited to, a person’s race, color, weight, nationality, ethnicity, religion, disability, sexual orientation, gender (which includes gender identity and/or expression), or sex. This includes any act(s) of harassment, bullying, cyberbullying, and/or discrimination of students by other students as well as school personnel.
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School districts will need to develop policies intended to create an environment that is free of discrimination or harassment and to establish guidelines for school training programs.
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The Act provides a response to the large number of harassed and stigmatized students skipping school and engaging in high risk behaviors by prohibiting discrimination in public schools and establishing the basis for protective measures such as training and model policies. The Dignity Act takes a major step in creating more nurturing environments in all our schools.
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NYSED with the New York State Center for School Safety (NYSCSS) is developing guidance to correlate components of SAVE as they relate to The Dignity Act.
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The Dignity Act becomes effective on July 1, 2012.