The New York State Dignity for All Students Act was signed into law on September 13, 2010 and is in effect for all public schools as of July 1, 2012. 

• The intent of the Dignity Act is to provide ALL students in New York State public schools a learning environment that is free of discrimination and harassment.

• The Dignity Act states that NO student shall be subjected to harassment, bullying (including cyberbullying), and discrimination by employees or students on school property or at a school function including but not limited to discrimination based on their actual or perceived race, color, weight, national origin, ethnic group, religion, religious practice, disability, sexual orientation, gender, or sex.

• School property includes the school building, athletic playing fields, playground, parking lots, and school bus. School functions include school-sponsored extra curricular events and activities.

Key Definitions related to the Dignity Act

•  Harassment/Bullying - the creation of a hostile environment by conduct or by verbal threats, intimidation, or abuse, including cyberbullying, that has or would have the effect of unreasonably and substantially interfering with a student’s educational performance, opportunities or benefits; that reasonably causes or would reasonably be expected to cause a student to fear for his or her physical safety; that reasonably causes or would reasonably be expected to cause physical injury or emotional harm to a student; or that occurs off school property and creates 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 - harassment/bullying, as defined above through any form of electronic communication

• Discrimination - the practice of unfairly treating a person or group of people differently from other people or groups of people

• Employee - any person receiving compensation from a school district or employee of a contracted service provider or worker placed within the school

• Race - groups to which individuals belong, identify with, or belong in the eyes of the community. This term is a social or mental construct used to describe geographically local or global human population groups distinguished as a more or less distinct group by genetically transmitted physical characteristics

• Color - the apparent pigmentation of the skin, especially as an indication or possible indication of a person’s race

• National origin - a person’s country of birth, country of origin, or their ancestors’ country of birth or origin

• Ethnic group - a group of people who identify with each other through a common heritage including language, culture, and often a shared or common religion and/or ideology that stresses ancestry

• Religion - religious or spiritual belief or preference

• Religious practice - practices and observances including attending worship services, praying at prescribed times, wearing religious garb or symbols, displaying religious objects, adhering to certain dietary rules, proselytizing or other forms of religious expression, or refraining from certain activities

• Disability - a physical, mental, or medical impairment resulting from anatomical, physiological, genetic, or neurological conditions which prevents the exercise of a normal bodily function or activity

• Sexual Orientation - a person’s actual or perceived heterosexuality, homosexuality, or bisexuality

• Gender - a person’s actual or perceived sex and includes a person’s gender identity or expression

• Sex - the biological and physiological characteristics that define men and women

• Weight - aside from its meaning in the physical sciences, when used in weight discrimination, the term is used to refer to a person’s “size”

For additional information related to the NYS Dignity for All Students Act please refer to:

http://www.p12.nysed.gov/dignityact/

Please also refer to the Fredonia Central School District Code of Conduct, which is located on our district website at:

https://www.fredonia.wnyric.org/

Hard copies of our district code of conduct can also be obtained at the FES main office.