The Safe Schools Against Violence in Education (SAVE) Act was passed by the New York State  Legislature and signed into law by Governor George E. Pataki on July 24, 2000, to address issues of  school safety and violence prevention. The New York State Board of Regents, in response to the  legislation, amended the Regulations of the Commissioner of Education, Section 100.2 (gg) to provide  specifications for the creation of a uniform violent incident reporting system. They make use of  definitions of crimes taken from the Penal Law and require schools to record information on violent and  disruptive incidents. The Glossary of terms used in the reporting of violent and disruptive incidents and  in the Monroe-Woodbury High School Code of Conduct is listed below.

Deliberately starting a fire with intent to destroy property

Intentionally or recklessly causing serious physical injury to another person, with or without a weapon.  As a general rule, a “serious physical injury” is one that requires hospitalization or treatment in an  emergency room or clinic or treatment by a licensed health professional outside of the school setting and  includes, but is not limited to, a bullet wound, a serious stab or puncture wound, fractured or broken  bones or teeth, concussions, cuts requiring stitches, and any other injury involving risk of death or  disfigurement. 

Intentionally or recklessly causing serious physical injury to another person, with or without a weapon.  As a general rule, a physical injury is a minor injury, such as a scrape, minor cut, or minor bruising,  which does not involve a risk of death, disability, or disfigurement. These assaults are treated by the  school nurse, and do not require further medical attention.

Any act, or attempted act, is bias-related if it is designed to cause physical injury, emotional suffering, or  property damage through intimidation, harassment, racial/ethnic slurs and bigoted epithets, vandalism,  force, or the threat of force, motivated all or in part by hostility to some real or perceived characteristic of  the victim.

A telephoned, written, or electronic message that a bomb, explosive, chemical, or biological weapon has  been placed on school property

Entering school property with intent to commit a crime

Formal multi-session interventions, provided by certified or licensed professionals, aimed at reducing risk  factors and increasing protective factors linked to the identified problem area(s) (i.e., drug/alcohol  rehabilitation programs, anger management programs, etc.)

Criminal harassment means striking, shoving, or kicking another person or subjecting another person to  unwanted physical contact with the intent to harass, annoy, or alarm another person

Intentional or reckless damaging of the property of the school or of another person, including, but not  limited to, vandalism and the defacing of property with graffiti

Unauthorized absence from class or school

Includes referral to Counseling or Treatment Programs, Teacher Removal, Suspension from Class or  Activities, Out-of-School Suspension, Involuntary Transfer to Alternative Education Program or Law  Enforcement/Juvenile Justice

The willful disruption of the orderly conduct of classes or of any other school program or activity

Falsely activating a fire alarm or other disaster alarm

When two or more students are mutually involved in an intentional physical altercation

A gang is an organized group characterized by turf concerns, symbols, special dress, and/or colors that  engages in delinquent or illegal activity. An incident is gang related if it is gang motivated or if gang  membership caused the incident or contributed to actions that occurred during the incident.

Communication that uses language that includes name calling, put-downs, harassing comments and  behaviors, ethnic slurs, cultural offenses, curses, and vulgar gestures. Inappropriate language is conveyed  in verbal, written, visual, digital, and physical forms. Such language is disrespectful, offensive, and  harmful.

Threatening, stalking, or seeking to coerce or compel a person to do something; engaging in verbal or  physical conduct that threatens another with harm, including intimidation through the use of epithets or  slurs involving race, color, weight, creed, national origin, ethnic group, religion, religious practice, gender  (identity or expression), sex, sexual orientation, social class, or disability that substantially disrupts the  educational process. 

Unlawful taking and carrying away of personal property with intent to deprive the rightful owner of property permanently

Incidents that violate the district code of conduct but do not rise to the level of a criminal offense.

The student is suspended from attending school for at least one day

Forcible stealing from a person by violence or threat of violence, with or without a weapon

Subjecting individuals to danger by recklessly engaging in conduct that creates a substantial risk of physical injury, but no actual physical injury

Possession or use of any tobacco product or electronic cigarette on school property

Includes in-school suspension and/or suspensions from school transportation or school/extracurricular activities, such as band choir, or athletics

The removal of a disruptive pupil from the teacher’s classroom pupil from the teacher’s classroom pursuant to the provisions of subdivision 3-a of section 3214 of the Education Law. (Routine referrals of a student to a principal or assistant principal for possible disciplinary action are not considered Teacher Removal)

Wrongfully taking, depriving, or withholding property from another

Any transfer to an educational program in a setting outside of the student’s home school to which the student is referred as part of or in lieu of disciplinary action

Illegally using or possession alcohol or a controlled substance, such as marijuana, synthetic cannabanoids (marijuana),on school property, including having such substance on a person or in a locker, vehicle, or other personal space; selling or distributing alcohol or a controlled substance such as marijuana, synthetic cannabanoids (marijuana), on school property; finding a controlled substance, such as marijuana, synthetic cannabanoids (marijuana), on school property that is not in the possession of any person; provided that nothing herein shall be construed to apply to the lawful administration of a prescription drug on school property.

Bringing a weapon to or possessing a weapon at school

Under the Dignity Act, there are currently 11 protected classes, groups, or characteristics. The Dignity Act prohibits any discrimination based on actual or perceived characteristics. Individuals in Public Schools in New York State are protected from discrimination, harassment, and persecution on the basis of actual or perceived:

• Race

• Color

• Weight

• National origin

• Ethnic group

• Religion

• Religious practice

• Sex

• Gender

• Sexual orientation

• Disability

Protection is not limited to the groups of characteristics listed above. For example, individuals are protected if they are harassed because of their socioeconomic status even though “socioeconomic” is not explicitly listed. An individual harassed for their height in either direction of their accent or speech style would be considered protected even though “height” and “accent” are not explicitly listed. The intent of the Dignity Act is to protect ALL individuals in schools.

This term is now considered by many cultural anthropologists and sociologists to be more of a social or mental construct than an objective biological fact. In common usage, the word appears to be used to describe geographically local or global human population groups distinguished as a more or less distinct group by genetically transmitted physical characteristics." For purposes of enumeration the U.S. Census Bureau uses terms such as: "White/Caucasian", "Black/African American/African-descent, "Asian", "Bi-racial", "Hispanics/Latinos etc. to describe and classify the inhabitants of the United States.

shall mean in or within any building, structure, athletic playing field, playground, parking lot, or land contained within the real property boundary line of a public elementary or secondary school; or, in or on a school bus, as defined in section one hundred forty-two of the vehicle and traffic law.

shall mean a school-sponsored extra-curricular event or activity

shall mean disability as defined in Subdivision Twenty-one of Section Two Hundred Ninety-two of the Executive Law

shall mean employee as defined in Subdivision Three of Section Eleven Hundred Twenty-five of this title

shall mean actual or perceived heterosexuality, homosexuality, or bisexuality

shall mean actual or perceived sex and shall include a person's gender identity or expression

shall mean the creation of a hostile environment by conduct or by verbal threats, intimidation or abuse that has or would have the effect of unreasonably and substantially interfering with a student's educational performance, opportunities or benefits, or mental, emotional or physical well-being; or conduct, verbal threats, intimidation or abuse that reasonably causes or would reasonably be expected to cause a student to fear for his or her physical safety; such conduct, verbal threats, intimidation or abuse includes but is not limited to conduct, verbal threats, intimidation or abuse based on a person's actual or perceived race, color, weight, national origin, ethnic group, religion, religious practice, disability, sexual orientation, gender or sex.

In this usage, the term refers to the apparent pigmentation of the skin, especially as an indication or possible indication of their race. [Source: Oxford Dictionary]

Aside from its obvious meaning in the physical sciences, in weight discrimination legislation from a variety of sources, the word is used in reference to a person's "size" or sometimes interchangeably with a person's size. Interestingly, the District of Columbia has a law that prohibits discrimination based on "personal appearance.”

A person's country of birth or their ancestor's country of birth [Source: Wisconsin Civil Rights publication]

A group of people who identify with each other through a common heritage including language, culture, and often a shared or common religion and or ideology that stresses ancestry. Some ethnic groups may emphasize marrying within the group or "endogamy.”

A person or group's religion is the specific fundamental beliefs and practices generally agreed to by large numbers of the group . . . a body of persons adhering to a particular set of beliefs and practices.

This term includes practices and observances such as attending worship services, wearing religious garb or symbols, praying at prescribed times, displaying religious objects, adhering to certain dietary rules, refraining from certain activities, proselytizing etc. The motivation for the practice is more significant than the nature of the activity in this definition. One individual may eat a certain diet for religious reasons while another may eat the exact same identical diet for secular (health/environmental) reasons . . . [Source: EEOC Govt. policy].

The biological and physiological characteristics that define men and women. (MALE and FEMALE denote "sex.” Source: World Health Organization.

The socially constructed roles, behaviors, activities, and attributes that a given society considers appropriate for men and women. (MASCULINE and FEMININE denote "gender") [Source: World Health Organization].

The sex to which a person is sexually attracted. Someone attracted primarily or exclusively to members of the opposite sex is characterized as straight or heterosexual. Someone attracted primarily or exclusively to members of the same sex is characterized as homosexual. A person with a strong or viable attraction to both genders is characterized as bisexual or pansexual. [Source: About.com.Civil Liberties].

Any restriction or lack (due to any impairment) of ability to perform an activity in the manner or within the range considered normal for a human being. [Source: W.H.O] The expression "person with a disability" is preferred over "disabled person.”