Dignity for All Students Act

Tool for Training School Employees
Instructional and Non-Instructional Staff


Please use this as a guide for developing your training process
Tip: If viewing this page on a smartphone (mobile device), hold your device horizontally.

Use this training tool to understand:

  1. What is DASA?
  2. Definitions of Key Terms
  3. Reporting Requirements
  4. Responding to Incidents
  5. Resources and Contact Information

Also use this training tool to understand:
  • What is your school DASA policy?
  • Who is your DASA Coordinator?
  • Where is your DASA complaint form posted?
  • Can a DASA complaint be made anonymously?

What is DASA?

The Dignity for All Students Act (DASA) was established to protect all students from harassment, bullying and discrimination.

DASA became effective on July 1, 2012 and was amended to include cyberbullying effective July 1, 2013.

Legislative Intent of DASA

“The legislature finds that students’ ability to learn and to meet high academic standards, and a school’s ability to educate its students, are compromised by incidents of discrimination or harassment including bullying, taunting or intimidation.”

“It is hereby declared to be the policy of the state to afford all students in public schools an environment free of discrimination and harassment. The purpose of this article is to foster civility in public schools and to prevent and prohibit conduct which is inconsistent with a school’s educational mission.”

Are students in NY experiencing bullying?



Examples of Bullying:

  • Verbal
  • Physical
  • Relational/Social Bullying
  • Cyberbullying

Definitions

Harassment or bullying means the creation of a hostile environment by conduct or by threats, intimidation or abuse, including cyberbullying that either:
  1. has or would have the effect of unreasonably and substantially interfering with a student's educational performance, opportunities or benefits, and/or mental, emotional and/or physical well-being; including conduct, threats, intimidation or abuse that reasonably causes or would reasonably be expected to cause emotional harm; or
  2. reasonably causes or would reasonably be expected to cause physical injury to a student or to cause a student to fear for his or her physical safety;

Threats, intimidation or abuse shall include verbal and non-verbal actions.

Emotional harm that takes place in the context of harassment, bullying, or cyberbullying means harm to a student's emotional well-being through creation of a hostile school environment that is so severe or pervasive as to unreasonably and substantially interfere with a student's education.

Acts of harassment, bullying, or cyberbullying can occur:
  • on school property
  • at a school function
  • off school property (where such acts create 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)

Cyberbullying occurs when harassment or bullying happens through any form of electronic communication.

Definitions: Material Incident

Material incident of harassment, bullying, and/or discrimination is a single verified incident or a series of related verified incidents where a student is subjected to harassment, bullying and/or discrimination by a student and/or employee.

The Dignity for All Students Act (DASA)

DASA prohibits bullying, harassment, discrimination, or cyberbullying Includes, but is not limited to, those acts based on a person’s actual or perceived:
  • Race
  • Color
  • Weight
  • National origin
  • Ethnic group
  • Religion
  • Religious practice
  • Disability
  • Sexual orientation,
  • Gender (including gender identity and expression)
  • Sex

DASA Amendment Effective May 2018
The Board of Regents amended CR §100.2(kk)

Dignity Act Reporting Requirements to include illustrative examples of the types of incidents of harassment, bullying and/or discrimination which must be reported and investigated as possible violations of DASA.

Illustrative Examples:
A report of harassment, bullying, and/or discrimination may include, but is not limited to, the following examples:

  1. a report regarding the denial of access to school facilities, functions, opportunities or programs including, but not limited to, restrooms, changing rooms, locker rooms, and/or field trips, or
  2. a report regarding application of a dress code, specific grooming or appearance standards, or
  3. a report regarding the use of name(s) and pronoun(s) or the pronunciation of name(s), or
  4. a report regarding any other form of harassment, bullying and/or discrimination,
based on a person’s actual or perceived race, color, weight, national origin, ethnic group, religion, religious practice, disability, sexual orientation, gender (which includes gender identity and/or expression), or sex.

Effective July 2019
Section 11 of Education Law was amended to read:

"Race" shall, for the purposes of this article include traits historically associated with race, including but not limited to, hair texture and protective hairstyles.

"Protective hairstyles" shall include, but not be limited to, such hairstyles as braids, locks, and twists.

Staff Reporting of Incidents/Complaints



Receiving Incidents/Complaints



Dignity Act Coordinator Responsibility



DASA prohibits retaliation against any individual who reports or assists in the investigation of harassment, bullying, cyberbullying or discrimination.

  • What is your school DASA policy?
  • Who is your DASA Coordinator?
  • Where is your DASA complaint form posted?
  • Can a DASA complaint be made anonymously?

And..
What should you do if you witness harassment, bullying, and/or discrimination?

What should you do if you receive an oral or written report of harassment, bullying, and/or discrimination?

Additional Considerations During the Pandemic

Has the process for contacting your DASA Coordinator changed?

How can your students contact the DASA Coordinator while learning remotely?

Are your students aware of what supports are available if they are the target of bullying, harassment, discrimination, or cyberbullying while learning remotely?

Has your school/district modified the Code of Conduct to address on-line learning?

Prevention… Starts Long Before an Incident Occurs

Source: Presented by Assistant Commissioner Renee Rider at the June 12, 2017 Board of Regents meeting



How can DASA Implementation Prevent Incidents?
Answer: DASA Legislation that...

  • Require the school … to take prompt actions reasonably calculated to … create a more positive school culture and climate
  • Include a school strategy to prevent harassment, bullying and discrimination

Resources

Dignity for All Students Act:
http://www.p12.nysed.gov/dignityact/

StopBullying.gov

Cyberbullying.org

Pacer’s National Bullying Prevention Center:
http://www.pacer.org/bullying/resources/questions-answered/conflict-vs-bullying.asp

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:
https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/youthviolence/bullyingresearch/index.html

New York State and NYSED Contact Information

NYSED Office of Student Support Services
SSEC@nysed.gov
http://www.p12.nysed.gov/sss/
518-486-6090

New York State Center for School Safety
844-897-9567
www.nyscfss.org

This concludes the DASA guide. Thank you for your participation!