tl;dr: Race-based athletic identities have been proven to be a form of racial discrimination. The superintendent and other administrators are employees of the school district that can enact or remove this identity. By continuing to enact the 'Indian' as a mascot, employees of the school are actively discriminating against race. Therefore, the Mahopac Central School District is violating The Dignity for All Students Act.

Good Morning,

The Superintendent has decided to respond to my DASA complaint with the following:

"Dear Mr. Ehrenpreis,
 
I am writing on behalf of the District’s Dignity for All Students Act (DASA) coordinators. You do not have standing under DASA to make a complaint and your complaint does not fall under DASA.

Anthony DiCarlo"

I responded as such:

"Good Afternoon Superintendent DiCarlo,

Would you mind clarifying how this complaint does not fall under DASA? 

DASA policy states that "...students, family members and others..." can "make an oral or written report to school personnel." Therefore, I do have standing under DASA to make a complaint.

According to the New York Center for School Safety Ed Law Article 2 Section 12: "No student shall be subjected to harassment or bullying by employees or students on school property or at a school function; nor shall any student be subjected to discrimination based on a person's 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." 

CR 100.2 (jj) (1) vii defines discrimination as: "discrimination against any student by a student or students and/or an employee or employees on school property or at a school function including, but not limited to, discrimination based on a person's actual or perceived race, color, weight, national origin, ethnic group, religion, religious practice, disability, sexual orientation, gender or sex."

Based on these two articles of DASA, my complaint, that the employees of the Mahopac Central School District that continue to implement a race-based athletic identity, such as the 'Indian', propagate discrimination based on a person's actual or perceived race - specifically, Native Americans and minority youths.

Additionally, a material complaint to be filed under DASA includes: "Conduct of such a severe or pervasive nature that it has the following effects: unreasonably and substantially interferes with a student's educational performance, opportunities or benefits; or mental, emotional, and/or physical well-being." 

The body of research that supports the reality of harms caused by propagating a race-based athletic identity can be found in the attached report by Dr. Jesse Steinfeldt and through the substantial research body encapsulated by the American Psychological Association (APA) here: https://www.apa.org/about/policy/mascots.pdf The APA states that "research has shown that the continued use of American Indian mascots, symbols, images and personalities has a negative effect on not only American Indian students but all students by: undermining the educational experiences of members of all communities-especially those who have had little or no contact with indigenous peoples...and is a form of discrimination against American Indian Nations that can lead to negative relations between groups." This, therefore, constitutes a material complaint that is able to be filed under DASA.

To summarize the above, my original complaint to all DASA Coordinators, within the Mahopac Central School District, should be filed as a DASA Complaint because the employees of the Mahopac Central School District are perpetuating discrimination by race through the complacent utilization of a race-based athletic identity (The 'Indian') on school premises. This results in pervasive interference with students' educational performance, opportunities, benefits, and mental/emotional/physical well-being.

I ask that you file my complaint and begin the processes outlined by DASA to "eliminate any hostile environment, prevent recurrence of the behavior, and to ensure the safety of the student(s) against whom harassment, bullying or discrimination was directed; Prohibit retaliation against any individual who reports or assists in the investigation of harassment, bullying, or discrimination; Develop a school strategy to prevent harassment, bullying, and discrimination; and require school leaders to make a regular report to the superintendent regarding data and trends related to harassment, bullying, and discrimination."

Thank you very much for your time and effort. I look forward to my alma mater taking the necessary steps to protect our current and future generations from racial discrimination.

~Sincerely,

Daniel Ehrenpreis"