DIGNITY FINALLY A REALITY

Rochester, N.Y.-- After a decade-long struggle, today in Albany Governor Paterson signed into law a landmark statewide legislation with specific protections for our school aged children.  Area labor activsts are now celebrating a victory and what they call "a giant step forward toward reducing incidents of bullying in our public schools."

The Dignity for All Students Act prohibits and combats bullying and discrimination in public schools, including bias harassment based on traits like race, ethnicity, religion, disability, sexual orientation, and gender identity and expression.

"Every student has the right to a safe and civil educational environment, but far too often young people are ruthlessly targeted by bullies," Governor Paterson said. "Bullying and harassment have disrupted the education of too many young people, and we in government have a responsibility to do our part to create learning environments that help our children prosper. I am proud to sign this bill into law as it will help ensure that students are protected from harassment, discrimination and bullying at school grounds and at school functions."

This bill was very important to many CSEA workers and activists. A similiar resolution to this bill passed on the floor of the CSEA Annual Delegates Meeting in September of 2009.  It was submitted to bring attention to the Dignity Bill that was sitting in committee in the New York Senate. 

CSEA workers who are employed by school districts testified at the ADM that they wanted to have the tools necessary to protect kids in public school environments. The resolution was introduced by the WNY Region 6 Women's Committee and their language was used by members to urge Albany lawmakers to pass the bill. 26 percent of workers who belong to CSEA work in school settings.

The law requires staff and teacher training on how to discourage incidents of bias harassment, inclusion of discrimination and harassment awareness in students’ civility and character education and the reporting of bias incidents to the State Education Department.

The Dignity bill recognizes that students who are bullied can not concentrate on learning, may drop out of school and sometimes take their own lives. It also marks the first time a New York state law has included explicit protections for transgender New Yorkers.

Local 828 President Bess Watts

Today’s historic victory is the result of 10 years of hard work by a broad coalition of organizations, including The Empire State Pride Agenda, the New York State United Teachers union (NYSUT), the New York Civil Liberties Union and the Anti Defamation League.

CSEA Local 828 President Bess Watts says the signing of this bill is important to all families of Monroe County who send their kids to publicly funded schools. She adds, "The law would make New York one of more than 40 states with anti-bullying laws, 14 of which plus the District of Columbia provide inclusive protections based on sexual orientation and gender identity or expression."

Watts, who also doubles as the president of the Rochester Finger Lakes Chapter of Pride At Work, AFL-CIO, says when youth are threatened at school, or their property gets stolen at school, and they fight at school, the odds that they will attempt suicide more than double. She told the CSEA Voice Reporter, "Considering more than half of sexual minority youth in schools have been verbally harassed and one in ten is physically assaulted, the Dignity for All Students Act with the inclusion of gender identity and expression will be a giant step to reducing instances of self-harm and suicide that result from harassment by school peers."

This law takes effect on July 1, 2012, although rules and regulations necessary to implement the bill on that day may be promulgated before that date.