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Spartan News is a presentation of Mason County Central Schools in partnership with Mason County Press.
SCOTTVILLE — Students at Mason County Central’s Scottville Elementary School learned valuable lessons Wednesday, Oct. 7, about how to recognize, prevent and deal with bullying.
Kevin Kimes, a retired MCC principal and speaker for Lock Out USA, presented his “Not In Our School” program, which emphasizes kindness, respect and the importance of making every student feel safe.
Kimes served as an elementary and middle school principal at MCC for 19 years and has worked in education for more than 30 years. He developed the anti-bullying program 13 years ago for his MCC Upper Elementary students.
The program incorporates skits, audience participation and an original song written by Kimes to teach children how their words and actions can affect others. Kimes has also written a book about bullying.
“Students can’t learn when they don’t feel safe,” Kimes said. “I have zero tolerance for bullying and it was dealt with swiftly in my school. These are lessons that these kids can take with them for the rest of their lives. Unfortunately, bullying isn’t behavior that is limited to childhood.”
Kimes retired as a principal in 2025 and has since worked for Lock Out USA, a company best known for developing the SmartBoot School Lockdown System, commonly called the “boot.”
“For years I would stare out my office window and contemplate that I was the first person charged with protecting over 400 children and dozens of adults every single day,” Kimes said. “When we discovered the boot system, it provided an extra layer of protection and some peace of mind to our students and staff along with myself.”
The boot was invented by Rob Couturier and is designed to help secure classroom doors during emergencies. Once deployed, the device can withstand up to 16,000 pounds of force.
Couturier serves as president of Lock Out USA, while his daughter, Brennan Woodruff, is CEO. The company is based in Fowlerville.
While Kimes has spent much of his career focused on school safety and security, he believes protecting students also means creating an environment where children feel valued, accepted and respected by their peers.
His anti-bullying program focuses on helping students recognize their own worth while understanding the importance of treating others with compassion.
“It is invaluable for these children to know that every single one of them was created perfectly beautiful,” Kimes said. “I believe if we can instill that assurance into our youth, we would create a world that is much safer and kinder.”
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