Local school districts are coming after social media companies with new litigation

 

MISHAWAKA, Ind.-- School districts across the country are coming after social media. Similar to a class action lawsuit, school districts are coming together to go after social media companies and the harmful, addictive side of online social networks.  

Locally, Concord and Elkhart Community Schools are joining a lawsuit from Wagstaff & Cartmell, and School City of Mishawaka might be next.  

This follows warnings from the United States Surgeon General about the dangers of social media on adolescent mental health.  Nearly 95 percent of teenagers ages 13 to 17 use social media.

This is a lawsuit bringing school districts together to go after social media companies for creating a “public nuisance” with their addictive platforms.  

But the idea started years ago with the same law firm—but another addictive habit—vaping!  

“In simplest terms, almost like a class action lawsuit, against the different companies that were making vape products, and how vape products were addictive to students,” said Superintendent Theodore Stevens.  

School City of Mishawaka is likely to get financial compensation for joining that lawsuit.  

“The idea was anything that we would get in a settlement, we would utilize to try to educate students on vaping, reduce the amount of students vaping, try to address that issue,” Stevens said.  

Now, another lawsuit is in the works, but this time, fighting social media companies.  

“...Focused on social media and the negative impact that it’s had on students, and the increase of negative student behaviors that have occurred in line with social media,” Stevens said.  

The Mishawaka school board will vote Wednesday night, August 16, on whether or not to join the new litigation.  

“It may end up in a financial settlement. It may end up in certain changes that occur through the social media companies,” Stevens said. “Where it ends up is actually a very good question.”  

The resolution states in part:  

“School city of Mishawaka (‘SCM’) has and continues to experience significant problems with student use of social media, which use, among other things: (i) has created a substantial and ongoing interruption of and disturbance to its educational mission, (ii) has resulted in the diversion of substantial resources in an attempt to abate and prevent such use and its resulting harms, and (iii) poses a significant risk to the health and well-being of its students.”

Two other local districts, Concord and Elkhart Community Schools already joined the lawsuit.