Starting this Friday (April 5th) the Alianna Alert will go into effect for all Ohio schools. The Alianna Alert was signed by the previous Ohio Governor, John Kaisch, this January. The Alianna Alert requires all Ohio schools to notify parents whether or not their child is in school within the first two hours of the school day. This will be the first time that the Ohio law requires schools to inform parents when their child is missing class.

The Alianna Alert came to be after the murder of 14-year-old Alianna DeFreeze in 2017 in Cleveland, Ohio. Alianna was making her way to school by taking an RTA bus (planning to walk the rest of the way) when she went missing. Alianna was last seen on 93rd and Kinsman in Cleveland, Ohio.

Alianna was kidnapped, raped, tortured and killed by 45-year-old Christopher Whitaker; all the while her mother had no idea that she had not made it to school. Three days later her body was found in an abandoned house in Cleveland. Whitaker was found and was sentenced to death for his crimes.

Democratic State Senator Sandra Williams proposed the measure, to help prevent any other child being harmed on their way to school. Hopefully this new law will do just that.

When Lakewood High School student, Annika Mintzlaff, heard about the new law going into effect she said, “It is nice to know that the school is even more responsible for our well-being. This is a great way to help protect the lives of students.”