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District official outlines Dignity Act process as parents and board press for clearer thresholds
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Summary
At a Hastings-on-Hudson Union Free School District meeting, a district official described the Dignity Act (DASA) reporting and appeal process and emphasized procedural nuance while parents and board members asked why community‑reported incidents sometimes are not logged as DASA violations and urged clearer training and review.
A district official described how Dignity Act (DASA) complaints are handled and appealed during a Hastings-on-Hudson Union Free School District board meeting, saying building-level determinations can be appealed to the district for a second‑layer review and that responses are paired with restorative approaches.
"There might have been a procedural misstep in terms of an, oversight of including her," the district official said, adding that "the process entails the building level DASA coordinator making a determination, and then, whomever filed the DASA or that the involved family has the right to then appeal to the district level." The official said some incidents also trigger mandated criminal reporting and must be referred outside the district.
Parents and other board participants pressed for clearer guidance about which incidents are recorded as DASA violations. One participant asked whether intentionally using the n‑word, drawing a swastika, or telling someone to "go back to your country" would be treated as automatic DASA violations: "Like, to me, that's a slam dunk, that's a violation," the participant said.
A participant who identified themself as a parent said the district is working to tighten responses and emphasized the limits of outsiders declaring DASA violations for events in other districts: according to that speaker, declaring a DASA violation for behavior in another district without direct knowledge "would be a misuse of the Dignity Act process." The parent also said the district has focused on hiring administrators with experience addressing these issues.
Board participants and parents noted a discrepancy between community reports and the district's official DASA counts. One participant said the district reported "three or four" DASA incidents last year and asked why nearby districts report higher numbers. Speakers suggested a comparative review of similar Westchester districts (Edgemont, Ardsley, Irvington, Dobbs Ferry, Pleasantville) to understand differing thresholds and reporting practices.
Speakers repeatedly emphasized impact on students over intent in determining responses. "For me, sometimes I don't necessarily think about what the intent is," a participant said. "It had an impact on kids." Several speakers urged clearer communication with families about when incidents are handled under code‑of‑conduct procedures rather than under DASA and recommended stronger parent training and exemplars so families understand the district's thresholds.
The board did not take formal action on policy changes during the meeting. After the discussion, the chair moved to adjourn; the motion was seconded and approved by a voice vote.
