Good Afternoon,
"New York State’s Dignity for All Students Act (The Dignity Act) 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." On February 3rd, I sent a formal complaint to 21 of the Mahopac Central School District DASA Coordinators. These 21 individuals have "been designated as Dignity Act Coordinators and trained in methods to respond to human relations in the areas of race, color, weight, national origin, ethnic group, religion, religious practices, disability, sexual orientation, gender or sex."
Continuing to implement a race-based athletic identity, despite state-wide educational policy specifying the need to establish and maintain discrimination-free schools, is not only a violation of anti-discrimination policy, but a wholehearted approval by the MCSD administration to isolate and belittle minority youth. It's time for the MCSD administration to recognize their breach in policy, and work to actively create a discrimination-free school system. Below you will find my formal complaint.
Resources:
Mahopac Central School District's DASA Policy
New York State's Center for School Safety DASA Information
_________________________________________________________________
Dear Mahopac Central School District DASA Coordinators,
My name is Daniel Ehrenpreis and I am a 2012 Mahopac Alumnus, current taxpayer, and registered voter in Putnam County. I am contacting you today to make a formal complaint in relation to Mahopac Central School District's violation of the Dignity for All Students Act (DASA).
As stated in the The Dignity Act section 801-a of New York State Education Law, "Such component shall instruct students on the principles of honesty, tolerance, personal responsibility, respect for others, with an emphasis on discouraging acts of harassment, bullying, discrimination, observance of laws and rules, courtesy, dignity and other traits which will enhance the quality of their experiences in, and contributions to, the community." Additionally, Mahopac's summary of the act states, "...nor shall any student be subject to discrimination based on a person's actual or perceived: race, color, weight, national origin, ethnic group, religion, religious practice, disability, sexual orientation, gender/sex."
Mahopac currently utilizes a race-based athletic identity, which is in direct violation of The Dignity Act section 801-a of New York State Education Law, highlighting school environments to be free of discrimination based on a person's race.
Superintendent DiCarlo, the school board, and trustees have received 7 letters from indigenous tribes, native organizations, indigenous health experts, and professionals in the field of psychology and sociology outlining why the propagation of race-based athletic identities are harmful to minority youth not only within our school district, but interscholastically in our area. All individuals who have received these letters have not responded, and therefore actively choose to continue violating DASA.
Attached you will find all 7 letters detailing how the Mahopac Central School District is breaching New York educational policy. Please contact me as soon as you are able, so we may discuss how our school district can move forward. My email address is dehrenp1@jhu.edu.
Thank you very much and I look forward to our future conversations.
~Sincerely,
Daniel Ehrenpreis