Dignity for All Students Act (DASA)

The state’s Dignity for All Students Act requires each school district to provide a safe, supportive, educational environment that is free from discrimination, intimidation, taunting, harassment and bullying.  The law, combined with policies already in place in the Jordan-Elbridge Central School District, promotes civility, mutual respect, citizenship, character, tolerance, honesty and integrity. The district is committed to providing an environment that promotes these principles for all students, staff and parents. As such, our policies condemn and prohibit all forms of discrimination, such as harassment, hazing and bullying on school grounds, on school buses, at school bus stops and at all school-sponsored activities, programs and events.

Our schools cannot effectively battle bullying if incidents are not reported. The district encourages students, staff members and parents to report bullying – including cyberbullying – to the appropriate Dignity Act coordinator.

What is bullying?

Bullying is a series of acts or a single negative act, depending on severity, that involves a real or perceived imbalance of power. Bullying can take many forms, including but not limited to:

• Physical – hitting, kicking, spitting, pushing and/or taking personal belongings;
• Verbal – taunting, malicious teasing, name-calling and/or making threats;
• Psychological – spreading rumors, manipulating social relationships and/or engaging in social exclusion, extortion and intimidation.

Bullying can occur before and after school hours, in a school building, on a playground, on a school bus while the student is traveling to/from school, or on the internet

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

Discrimination is the act of denying rights, benefits, justice, equitable treatment or access to facilities available to all others, to an individual or group of people because of the group, class, or category to which that person belongs


* If you believe your child has been bullied, please download the complaint form to the right and turn it into your Dignity Act Coordinator (DAC) or building administrator (contacts below)


What happens when I file a DASA? (per NYS DASA Guidelines)

1. DASA Coordinator or Administrator leads the investigation
2. After investigating the incident, the DAC or school leader must make a determination if there is evidence as to whether the incident is "material"
     - An act or series of acts by a student and/or employee on school property or at a school function
     - Creates a hostile environment by conduct
            - with or without physical contact, and/or
            - verbal treats, intimidation, or abuse.
    - Conduct of such a severe or pervasive nature that it has the following effect:
            - unreasonable and substantially interferes with a student's educational performance, opportunities, or benefits; or
            - mental, emotional, and/or physical well-being; or
            - reasonably causes, or would reasonably be expected to cause, a student to fear for his/her physical safety

3. If a material incident:
    - Consequences are most effective when they directly address the problem and context
            - Consequences depend on: student's age, developmentally-appropriate conduct, specific offense/circumstances of the incident, students prior discipline record, disability status, and input from persons in parental relation, teachers, mental health professions, as appropriate.

4. Plan for change
     - Restorative practices and positive interventions
     - Providing support to students and persons involved: counseling, conflict resolution, mediation.

Note: If NOT a DASA material incident:
-District administrators will determine if the incident violates the code of conduct and apply it as necessary.