New York State's Dignity For All Students Act Advances

New York--The New York State Assembly took a step toward protecting public school students from bias-related harassment today (March 20, 2001) when the Education Committee voted 25-2 to advance the Dignity For All Students Act. The legislation, sponsored in the Assembly by committee chair Steven Sanders (D/Manhattan) and in the Senate by Thomas Duane (D/Manhattan), addresses the kind of hate-based bullying that recently has been cited as a contributing factor in school violence and requires educators to implement comprehensive policies aimed at preventing it.

"The vote is a recognition by the Assembly Education Committee that students can’t learn if they are afraid of being taunted or physically assaulted in the halls between classes. Schools really can’t be safe for anybody if they don’t deal with bias harassment," stated John Myers, director of the Coalition for Safer Schools of New York State.

"As a parent, I have seen firsthand the huge toll that in-school harassment takes on students and their families," said Carol Neff, board member of the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN) - Capital Region, member of the Albany chapter of Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays, and the mother of a gay student. "My son suffered personally because of who he is, and in turn, the family has suffered. We had to spend money on tutors and counselors to figure out what was happening to our son. But more importantly, we lost years of having him as a vibrant member of our family. I want families of all backgrounds to be spared the pain that comes from bullying and harassment in school."

"The 80-plus member organizations of the statewide Dignity for All Students Coalition congratulate the Assembly Education Committee for taking this important action to protect students of every race, religion, ethnic background, gender, physical ability and sexual orientation," said Tony O’Rourke, GLSEN Northeast Field Organizer and co-facilitator of the coalition.

Ross Levi, Legislative Counsel for the Empire State Pride Agenda and the other co-facilitator of the coalition, addressed the concern that some people interpret the bill as an attempt to push the so-called "homosexual lifestyle." "This legislation does not force students to accept gay kids, immigrant kids, deeply religious kids or disabled kids. It simply offers protection for certain groups whose differences make them frequent targets. As long as the law requires students to be in school, then schools need to be harassment-free zones where kids can reach their full potential. Right now, neither these kids or their teachers can do much about the hate spewing out of a bully’s mouth on a daily basis."

The Dignity For All Students Act (S. 1628/A. 2634) amends the New York Education Law to prohibit discrimination and harassment in schools based on real or perceived race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, sex, gender, sexual orientation or disability. Currently, New York State law does not afford students comprehensive protection from harassment in primary or secondary schools.

Research indicates that many students endure the kind of bias harassment that can interfere with learning and make schools dangerous places. According to the American Association of University Women, 85% of female students report having experienced some kind of harassment in school. 43% of students in a Washington state survey said they had been the target of offensive racial comments or attacks at school.

Gay and lesbian students, and those perceived to be lesbian or gay, in particular are the victims of severe and widespread discrimination and harassment. One study of lesbian and gay youth ages 14 to 21 found that 44% were threatened with physical attack, 33% had objects thrown at them, 30% were chased or followed, and 17% were physically assaulted. Most alarmingly, one third of the youth surveyed reported that no one, not even teachers or administrators, intervened in these circumstances.

The Dignity Act would require school administrators, teachers, parents and students to recognize and address bias-related behavior that interferes with student safety and learning. Among its key provisions are developing rules to prevent and respond to discriminatory violence; incorporating discrimination awareness and sensitivity into civility, citizenship and character education curricula; establishing teacher, staff and administrative training guidelines for dealing with diversity, reducing discriminatory behaviors, and responding to discriminatory harassment and hate violence; reporting incidents of discrimination and bias harassment to the State Education Department.

The Dignity Act goes next to the Assembly Codes Committee. The Coalition expects a vote by the full Assembly before the end of this year’s session.