Conway board agrees to engage Motley Rice to join national social‑media harm class action
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Summary
The board voted to retain Motley Rice to join a national class action alleging social platforms harm minors; the district will not pay an upfront fee, and any settlement proceeds would be reduced by attorneys’ fees and costs.
The Conway School District board voted to engage the law firm Motley Rice to participate in a national social‑media harm class action targeting platforms including Meta (Facebook/Instagram), TikTok, YouTube and Snapchat.
General counsel Shasta Wagner introduced the matter after outside counsel Jay Beckett described the consolidated federal litigation and why local districts are joining as plaintiffs. Beckett told the board there is no upfront sign‑on fee; Motley Rice would pursue claims on behalf of participating districts and, if a settlement or judgment were obtained, attorneys’ fees would be taken from any recovery before funds are distributed to public entities.
Motion and vote: A board member moved and a second followed; the board approved the engagement in public session. Counsel said the superintendent will be authorized to sign an engagement letter with the firm and that local attorneys would assist with a fact sheet and administrative filings.
What the district said: Presenters described the case as evidence‑based and consolidated before a federal judge in the Northern District of California; they said several Arkansas districts had already signed on and that the district’s participation would be at no initial cost. The board did not authorize litigation spending beyond the engagement letter and did not appropriate funds at the meeting.
Next steps: The superintendent’s office was authorized to sign the engagement letter so district staff can work with Motley Rice and co‑counsel on case filings and fact sheets. Any settlement proceeds, should they occur, would be distributed after attorneys’ fees and costs.