DASA, enacted by New York State, went into effect July 1, 2012, and protects students in NYS public schools from harassment, discrimination, and bullying by other students or school employees.

It provides that no student shall be subjected to discrimination based on his or her actual or perceived race, color, national origin, ethnic group, religion, religious practice, disability, weight, sexual orientation, sexual identity, or sex. DASA explicitly states that the harassment is the creation of a hostile environment through bullying, taunting, and intimidation.

The cyberbullying amendment to the Dignity Act establishes protocols to respond to cyberbullying. It grants schools authority over communications that occurs off-campus if it creates a hostile environment, a risk of a substantial disruption at school and it is foreseeable that the conduct, threats, intimidation, or abuse might reach school property. Under the bill, a principal, superintendent or the designee is charged with investigating reports of cyberbullying. If the investigation verifies harassment, bullying or discrimination, the school would be required to take prompt actions to end the harassment.
 

In 2019, the Dignity for All Students Act, or DASA, was amended by the CROWN Act to add the definition of race that includes traits such as hair texture and protective hairstyles such as locs, braids, and twists in order to protect students' access to their public education regardless of how they choose to wear/style their hair. The CROWN Act, which stands for Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair, prohibits racial discrimination based on hair texture and protective hairstyles. While DASA already protects the right of all students to learn in schools free of discrimination, harassment, and bullying, it is now clarified that those rights include self-expression through hairstyle.

Mr. Vincent Healy
Executive Director of Pupil Personnel Services & Instructional Personnel
516-887-8300 ext. 542