The Dignity Act amended Section 801-a of New York State Education Law regarding instruction in civility, citizenship and character education by expanding the concepts of tolerance, respect for others, and dignity to include: an awareness and sensitivity to people based on different races, weights, national origins, ethnic groups, religions, religious practices, mental or physical abilities, sexual orientations, gender identity or expression, and sex.
The Dignity Act also amended Section 2801 of the Education Law, instructing Boards of Education to include language in the codes of conduct to comply with The Dignity Act. The code of conduct must be amended to reflect the prohibition of discrimination and harassment of students by students or staff – in age appropriate plain language.
NYSED will provide sample policy, sample code of conduct (definition of terms), guidelines for implementation, curriculum ideas, a rubric to assess level of implementation and compliance, and requirements for professional development for the Dignity Act Coordinator and all staff.
One dignity act coordinator per school will be identified and specifically trained in issues related to bullying, harassment and discrimination. This person will coordinate efforts in the building related to DASA compliance. The Title IX Coordinator for the district should also receive specialized training.
The Dignity Act and Uniform Violent Incident Reporting: Reporting will be done under the same system that currently allows for the reporting of Violent and Disruptive Incidents, though incidents reportable under the Dignity Act will not impact a School’s Violence Impact unless they also fall under a Violent and Disruptive Incident category.
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