Dignity Act (Dignity for All Students Act)
About the Dignity Act
The Dignity Act was signed into law on 9/13/2010 and took effect on 7/1/2012. It amended State Education Law by creating a new Article 2 – Dignity for All Students. It also amended Section 801-a of NYS Education Law regarding instruction in civility, citizenship, and character education by expanding the concepts of tolerance, respect for others, and dignity to include: awareness and sensitivity in the relations of people, including but not limited to different races, weights, national origins, ethnic groups, religions, religious practices, mental or physical abilities, sexual orientations, gender identity, and sexes. The Dignity Act further amended Section 2801 of the Education Law by requiring Boards of Education to include language addressing The Dignity Act in their codes of conduct.
Under the Dignity Act, schools must collect and report material incidents of discrimination and harassment. On 6/18/2012, the NYS Senate and Assembly passed Governor’s Program Bill #43 to amend the education law in relation to prohibiting bullying and cyber-bullying in public schools. This amendment became effective on July 1, 2013.
Dignity Act Resources
NYS Dignity for All Students Act (DASA)
The NYSED DASA website contains information, resources, sample policies, webinars, PowerPoint presentations, and incident reporting forms pertaining to the amendment and its implementation. Click the Resource tab on the left side of the webpage for multiple resources schools can use to educate staff, students, and parents.
Stopbullying.gov
A federal government website managed by the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services offers guidance on bullying: What is Bullying, Cyberbullying, Who is at Risk, Prevent Bullying, Get Help, and other resources for school health professionals.
