Dignity for All Students Act
A regulation named the Dignity for All Students Act went into effect July 1, 2012 in New York State. Its purpose is to ensure that all elementary and secondary public school students have the right to attend school in an environment that is free of discrimination, harassment, and bullying.
New York State Dignity for All Students Act (DASA) prohibits actions — such as aggression, threats, and intimidation — that interfere with another student’s educational performance both at school and district events. It also creates a framework for sensitivity and diversity training to promote a positive school environment.
Each school’s Code of Conduct includes the provisions of DASA. The codes are updated annually.
DASA Reporting Form
Parents and students can anonymously report an incident of bullying and harassment by filling out the Greater Amsterdam School District DASA Reporting form. It can be printed and mailed, or emailed to one of the DASA coordinators listed at right.
DASA Definitions
Bullying: A hostile activity which harms or induces fear through the threat of further aggression and/or creates terror. Bullying may be premeditated or a sudden activity. Bullying often includes the following characteristics:
Power imbalance – occurs when a bully uses his/ her physical or social power over a target. Intent to harm – the bully seeks to inflict physical or emotional harm and/or takes pleasure in this activity.
Threat of further aggression – the bully and target believe that bullying will continue.
Terror – When any bullying increases, it becomes a systematic violence or harassment used to intimidate and maintain dominance. There are several types of bullying, including verbal, physical and social/relational.
Discrimination: 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 (as enumerated in the harassment section).
Harassment: The creation of a hostile environment by conduct or by verbal threats, intimidation or abuse that has or would have the effect of unreasonably and substantially interfering with a student’s educational performance, opportunities or benefits, or mental, emotional or physical well-being; or conduct, verbal threats, intimidation or abuse that reasonably causes or would reasonably be expected to cause a student to fear for his or her physical safety. The harassing behavior may be based on any characteristic, including but not limited to a person’s actual or perceived: race, color, weight, national origin, ethnic group, religion, religious practice, disability, sex, sexual orientation, or gender (including gender identity and expression).
Hazing: An induction, initiation or membership process involving harassment which produces public humiliation, physical or emotional discomfort, bodily injury or public ridicule or creates a situation where public humiliation, physical or emotional discomfort, bodily injury or public ridicule is likely to occur.
Online Anti-Bullying Resources for Students, Parents and Teachers
DASA Coordinators
Mental Health Coordinator
David Jackson
518-843-3180 x3197, djackson@gasd.org
Amsterdam High School
Assistant Principal John Davey
518-843-3180 x1003
jdavey@gasd.org
Lynch Literacy Academy
Assistant Principal Chuck Myers
(518) 843-3716
cmyers@gasd.org
Barkley Elementary
Principal Nancy Rad
(518) 843-1850
nrad@gasd.org
Marie Curie Institute
Principal Meaghan Butterfield
(518) 843-2871
mbutterfield@gasd.org
McNulty Academy
Principal Tina O’Brien
(518) 843-4773
tobrien@gasd.org
Tecler Elementary
Principal John Miller
(518) 843-4805
jmiller@gasd.org