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Marion County School Board approves engagement in multi-district social-media litigation
Summary
The board unanimously authorized the school district to retain outside counsel to join consolidated federal litigation alleging social media companies contributed to student harms; staff time and limited discovery obligations were described by legal counsel.
The Marion County School Board voted unanimously on March 24 to engage outside counsel to participate in multi-district litigation alleging harms from social media products and practices.
Attorney Powers, the board’s general counsel, explained that dozens of school districts nationwide have joined consolidated litigation alleging that certain social-media products create public-nuisance harms to children, including impacts on sleep, truancy and mental health. He recommended retaining the firm Wagstaff & Cartmell as part of the national coalition pursuing the cases.
Powers told the board that the district should expect modest staff time — roughly 10 to 15 hours — to gather de-identified data related to discipline and wellness, and that additional discovery (including depositions) is possible though not likely. He described the litigation as carrying "no significant financial risk to the district" in his view while noting the litigation could ultimately drive regulatory changes or funding for student resources.
Board members asked procedural questions about staff time, privacy, and the next steps; with no further public concerns raised the board approved the attorney-client engagement by a 4–0 vote.
The motion instructs legal staff to retain national counsel and to coordinate required, de-identified data production consistent with privacy protections; further litigation strategy and any material updates will be discussed in executive session as appropriate.
