My name is Logan Feszczyszyn and I am a freshman in High School at Honeoye Falls-Lima central school district. I have been bullied for years, people have harrassed me for my appearence, hobbies and sometimes my weight. But through out it all the thing that I have been bullied for the most is issues with my mental health. From 5th grade until 7th I was living in an abusive household and the only place I was able to show my emotions was at school. I consistently had mental breakdowns, outbursts and episodes. Since then, those behaviors have stopped. Despite me now being able to regulate emotions and express them in a better way out of school, I am consistantly harrassed and bullied because of the outbursts. I have told school administraters, counslors and even teachers. These issues have been adressed but every time one student stops just for others to continue, and oftentimes , the student continues after a few weeks of leaving me alone. I had enough and decided to file a report through the New York State Education Department's Dignity for All Students (DASA.) For those unfamiliar, DASA "seeks to provide the State’s public elementary and secondary school students with a safe and supportive environment free from discrimination, intimidation, taunting, harassment, and bullying on school property, a school bus and/or at a school function." When I filled out and submitted the report, I was told that I did not fall under a "protected class." After looking into it I found that the protected classes are as follows:

• Race
• Color
• Weight
• National Origin
• Ethnic Group
• Religion
• Religious Practice
• Disability
• Sexual Orientation
• Gender
• Sex

What is missing from that list? MENTAL HEALTH DISABILITIES.

Some of the most vulnerable students are not protected under this act! I am calling on the New York State Department of Education to make that change.

Please put your name on this petition to make this happen!