Dignity for All Students Act (DASA)

The Dignity Act for All Students Act ensures that no student shall be subject to harassment or bullying by employees or students on school property or at a school function; nor shall any student be subjected to discrimination based on a person’s actual or perceived: race, color, weight, national origin, ethnic group, religion, religious practice, disability, sexual orientation, gender (including gender identity or expression), or sex.

The Dignity Act, or DASA, was signed into New York State law on September 2010 and became effective on July 2012. DASA reflects the state’s goal to afford all students in public schools an environment free of discrimination and harassment (Education Law §10).

Lexington School for the Deaf’s Code of Conduct reflects the principles and practices embodied in DASA. Lexington has established a DASA incident reporting protocol, designated a staff person as a Dignity Act Coordinator, implemented an annual employee DASA training program, incorporated a character education program for students, and set policies for ongoing DASA data collection and reporting.