Dignity Act

The Dignity for All Students Act (Dignity Act) seeks to provide the State’s public elementary and secondary school students with a safe and supportive environment free from discrimination, intimidation, taunting, harassment, and bullying on school property, a school bus and/or at a school function.

The goals of the district are as follows:

• Comply with the legislation
• Improve our response to reported incidents
• Pro-actively create a positive school environment through educational programs focused on acceptance and tolerance

The Dignity for All Students Act (§§10-18 of Education Law) defines harassment as 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 educational performance, opportunities or benefits, or mental, emotional or physical well-being; or conduct, verbal threats, intimidation or abuse that reasonably causes or would reasonably be expected to cause a student to fear for his or her physical safety. The harassing behavior may be based on any characteristic, including but not limited to a person’s actual or perceived:

• Race
• Color
• Weight
• National Origin
• Ethnic Group
• Religion
• Religious Practice
• Disability
• Sex
• Sexual Orientation
• Gender (including gender identity and expression)