Andrew Cuomo is outraged! Outraged, I say! He's so outraged, he wrote an Angry Letter on Friday.
In one of my least successful diary efforts, Indignity in New York from this past week I recounted how the NYCLU had released a report charging that the state of New York was a failure at protecting transgender and gender non-conformiing students as charged under the Dignity for All Students Act of 2010.
This lack of action appears to have resulted in harassment and violence being perpetrated against transgender and gender-nonconforming students.
--Cuomo
According to the report, 19% of the 24,478 incidents of harassment reported in New York schools during the 2012-13 school year involved gender stereotypes.
Cuomo called the report “truly disturbing” and demanded that Acting Education Commissioner Elizabeth Berlin “take any and all necessary action” to address its findings.
Now that's scathing!
Their report outlines a situation which is completely unacceptable, dangerous . . . and in complete contradiction to the values of our great state.
--Cuomo
The Gov even set time limits, he was so angry!
Cuomo asked Berlin to produce a written plan of action within seven business days and a report on the department’s overall compliance with the Dignity for All Students Act within three weeks.
Education Department spokesman Dennis Tompkins has said the guidelines (expected to be released in time for the next school year--ed) will help schools “foster educational environments that are safe and free from discrimination for all students, specifically transgender and gender-nonconforming students.”
Cuomo was not so outraged, however, as to commit any political muscle for the fight to pass
GENDA through the state Senate.