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)

     

Contacts