Dear Hudson City School District Community:

As the year comes to a close, we would like to take this time to remind our community that the Hudson City School District is committed to to providing all students with an educational environment free of discrimination, harassment, and bullying. To further that objective, we have provided a brief overview of the Dignity for All Students Act (DASA) and the Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair (CROWN) Act as well as the District’s obligations under those statutes.

DASA serves a vital role in ensuring that we, as a District, are able to provide a safe and effective learning environment for our students. DASA, originally passed by the New York State Legislature in 2012, prohibits discrimination and harassment against students by employees or other students on school property or at a school function, including on the basis of their actual or perceived race, color, weight, national origin, ethnic group, religion, religious practice, disability, sexual orientation, gender, or sex by school employees or students on school property or at a school function.

DASA was amended by the CROWN Act to add to the definition of race traits such as hair texture and protective hair styles such as locs, braids, and twists to protect students’ access to their public education regardless of how they choose to wear or style their hair. In essence, the CROWN Act clarified that DASA’s protections against discrimination, harassment, and bullying, extended to a student’s self-expression through hairstyle.

Under the CROWN Act, schools are responsible for ensuring that: (i) teaching staff and other school personnel are aware of the CROWN Act; (ii) school personnel understand that formal disciplinary action against students based on their natural hair texture and protective hairstyles is prohibited;  and (iii) school personnel understand that, given their inherent position of authority over students, they are responsible for preventing racial discrimination and supporting all students’ access to school, participation in activities and inclusion for opportunities inside and outside the classroom.

As part of our obligations under DASA, the District has incorporated policies and procedures that are designed to create a school environment free from harassment, bullying and discrimination, which align with the objectives of the CROWN Act. Specifically, the District Policy #0115 and District Regulation #0115-R provide a detailed explanation of the meaning of bullying, discrimination, and harassment, as well as the role of the DASA Coordinators, the process for incident reporting, and the investigation and resolution procedures. Please see the links below for copies of the Policy, Regulation and, Student Bullying and Harassment Complaint Form:

Additionally, please see below for a list of staff members serving as DASA Coordinators for each of our schools:

Hudson High School
Dignity Act Coordinator: Eric Clark, Psychologist (518-828-4360, ext. 8305, ClarkE@hudsoncsd.org)

Hudson Junior High School
Dignity Act Coordinator: Eric Clark, Psychologist (518-828-4360, ext. 8305, ClarkE@hudsoncsd.org)

Montgomery C. Smith Elementary School
Dignity Act Coordinator: Christina Lauria, Social Worker (518-828-4360, ext. 1127, LauriaC@hudsoncsd.org)

Hudson City School District DASA Coordinator
Kim Lybolt, Director of Student Services (518-828-4360, ext. 2111 or 2112, LyboltK@hudsoncsd.org

Thank you for taking the time to familiarize yourself with the District’s DASA/CROWN Act policies. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact your school’s DASA Coordinator or myself at spindlerl@hudsoncsd.org.

Sincerely,

Dr. Lisamarie Spindler
Superintendent of Schools

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