Utah school district leading the way in a lawsuit against social media

SALT LAKE CITY — The Jordan School District in Utah is now the lead plaintiff in a lawsuit against social media companies.

Hundreds of school districts across the United States are involved in the lawsuit, which is based in northern California. The districts are going after Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok and Snapchat.

Because the Jordan School District is a lead plaintiff, they may be selected by the court to go to trial. During a trial, they would testify about damages they claim social media companies have caused their students.

District Board Member Bryce Dunford spoke to the media on Monday about seeing his son become addicted to social media.

“I have witnessed the consuming power that comes over a young person [who] is not prepared to swim in those very difficult waters,” Dunford said.

The districts claim social media companies have been negligent and have created a public nuisance. And they’re seeking damages, saying they’ve had to pay for more mental health services for their students.

Jordan School District Superintendent Dr. Anthony Godfrey became emotional when he described how social media has impacted the lives of students he knows. 

“We have spent millions of dollars mostly on additional staff to help support students,” Godfrey said. “But it would be difficult to list all the direct and indirect impacts that we feel as we see students day to day.

“When you see this concentration of young people, you see on an individual basis how their lives are negatively impacted.”

The state of Utah is also suing social media companies over similar concerns, but the two suits are not related.

Suggested other reading:

• Senate to vote next week on Kids Online Safety Act
• Utah names TikTok in new lawsuit over “virtual strip club”
• The Supreme Court will decide if state laws limiting social media platforms violate the Constitution

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