During the early release day, students gathered in the auditorium to listen to guest speaker, Detective Mike Lemon.
Lemon founded Cyber Safe Schools, a program that provides resources for schools to advocate against cyberbullying and other online threats. He has spent sixteen years apprehending online predators for local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies.
“I’ve worked on hundreds of these cases, from embarrassing photos to missing children,” said Lemon.
Lemon works to protect children and even young adults from the dangers of social media and life-threatening people. He and his instructors have partnered with many schools to help assist over 250,000 students, teachers, parents, and professionals to prevent the spread of embarrassing photos and many things that occur online that may be harmful, degrading, or dangerous.
Cyber Safe Schools speaks with many schools from grades 3-12. Lemon informs middle and high school students about how the posts they make on social media can affect their jobs, college, and maybe even their future, as well as the dangers of legal trouble when faced with the consequences of their actions.
“I chose him because of his background. His speech was crucial and aligned with our goal of keeping the school and students safe. We also felt it was important for students to understand how something as simple as a post or picture can have a lasting impact on someone’s life. Additionally, addressing the dangers of online predators was a vital part of the message, helping students recognize the risks and stay vigilant online,” said Principal Ed Wagner.