Former Reds catcher Johnny Bench launches anti-bullying app


Save Story
Leer en español

Estimated read time: Less than a minute

This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.

CINCINNATI (AP) — Major League Baseball Hall of Famer Johnny Bench has launched a new cellphone app aimed at combatting bullying in schools nationwide.

The Cincinnati Reds catcher officially launched his "Smithfield School App" on Thursday at the Montgomery Inn Boathouse in downtown Cincinnati.

The app — named for its sponsor Smithfield Foods — allows teachers and administrators to notify parents of reports of bullying, cyberbullying, threats, school closings and other alerts.

Approximately 5,000 schools across the country are slated to use the app, which is free for users with schools paying a $79 monthly hosting fee.

Bench says he still remembers two boys who bullied him when he was in eighth grade more than 50 years ago. He says he wants to see every child protected as much as possible.

Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Most recent National Sports stories

Related topics

MLBNational Sports
The Associated Press

    ARE YOU GAME?

    From first downs to buzzer beaters, get KSL.com’s top sports stories delivered to your inbox weekly.
    By subscribing, you acknowledge and agree to KSL.com's Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

    KSL Weather Forecast