Candice Williams, The Detroit News 4:59 p.m. EDT September 24, 2014
Attorney General Bill Schuette announced Wednesday a new anonymous hotline students can use to report potential harm or criminal activities in school.
OK2SAY, a student safety initiative, is available to Michigan students starting this school year.
“Our students learn best in a safe environment, but dangerous behaviors threaten to disrupt our schools, and in the worst cases, take the lives of our students,” Schuette said in a statement. “OK2SAY will create an early warning system in our schools and communities to stop tragedies before they start. We cannot sit and wait for the next Columbine or Sandy Hook. We must be proactive to ensure our kids are safe, both inside and outside the classroom. If even one child is saved, this program will be a success.”
Schuette made the announcement Wednesday at University Prep High School in Detroit. He was joined by Detroit Chief of Police James Craig, University Prep Schools CEO Mark Ornstein, Michigan State Police Lt. Mike Shaw, Sandra York, executive director of Michigan PTA, and recording artist Keenan West, an anti-bullying advocate who wrote the OK2SAY theme song.