Baldwin-Whitehall Delays Anonymous Threat Tip Line Launch

BALDWIN, PA - The Baldwin-Whitehall School District won’t immediately participate in in a new statewide system in which anonymous tips on potential threats of violence and other problems can be reported.

The Safe2 Say program, which debuted this week, allows students, teachers, parents and others to provide information through a 24-hour tip line, online or through a phone app. The tips are reviewed by crisis center workers who then can contact school administrators or law enforcement depending on the potential threat.

The program is being operated by the Pennsylvania Attorney General's Office in conjunction with Sandy Hook Promise, a national violence prevention organization.

School directors recently voted unanimously to delay the program, citing concerns that it discourages responsible reporting and could erode established relationships between students and district staff.

“The implementation of similar systems, such as Colorado's Safe2Tell program has resulted in abuses of the system, including using the tip line as a means to bully other students and infringement of students' personal rights and privacy,” district officials said in a statement on the B-W website. “The district believes that the program has been implemented without necessary training, infrastructure, and safety.”

The district is asking state legislators to consider addressing what it believes are shortcomings in the law that created the tip line.

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