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District signs contingency agreement with outside counsel to explore social‑media litigation; no out‑of‑pocket cost to district
Summary
The superintendent updated trustees that the district engaged a law firm on a contingency basis to explore potential litigation against social media companies, with staff saying the district will not pay fees unless there is a recovery.
The Mercer Island School District issued an update that it has executed an engagement agreement with an external law firm to explore possible litigation related to the impact of social media on students and schools.
Assistant Superintendent Batterfield told the board the law firm (identified in the presentation as Keller Rohrbach) will represent potential district claims on a contingency‑fee basis and that the agreement "is structured as contingency fee arrangement, meaning that we don't we're not paying anything out of pocket." Batterfield added that fees would be paid from any recovery obtained and stressed that the district was not a lead plaintiff in major litigation at this time, which reduces the immediate burden on district staff.
The district—s point of contact with the law firm will be an attorney the board had heard from in previous briefings. Batterfield said that the firm—s work will focus on claims related to social media content and its effects on students; at present the district said it does not face out‑of‑pocket legal fees under the arrangement and that staff time will be limited while the firm conducts its investigation.
Board members asked clarifying questions about the district—s role in the litigation and potential demands on district resources. Administrators said the agreement was intended to limit financial risk to the district while allowing the firm to evaluate potential legal claims.
No litigation filings against social media companies were announced at the meeting, and the agreement does not obligate the district to pay fees if no recovery occurs.
