Hampton County school board votes to join national class-action suit alleging social media harms to students

The Hampton County Board of Trustees voted May 5 to join a national class-action litigation that targets major social-media companies, after hearing a summary from legal counsel about harms the suit attributes to platform design and algorithms.

Attorney Thomas Balo told the board the litigation alleges that algorithms designed to maximize screen time have contributed to increased rates of depression, anxiety, bullying and attention problems among children. Balo compared the proposals to earlier litigation against Juul and said the damages sought would focus on costs school districts incur for counseling, mental-health initiatives and other responses to social-media–driven behavioral issues.

Balo said more than 200 school districts have joined similar litigation and that bellwether cases in several states would test legal theories; he cautioned the process could be lengthy because defendants have substantial resources and are expected to defend and appeal adverse rulings. The district’s previous participation in Juul-era litigation recovered roughly $70,000 before fees, he said.

The board approved participation and authorized Superintendent Dr. Sheffield to sign required documents. The motion was presented and recorded as moved by Priest and seconded by Wilson and recorded as carried (recorded as "70"). The attorney said participation would be on a contingency basis, with national counsel taking lead work and the district providing limited reporting and records as needed.

Next steps: the superintendent’s office will execute participation paperwork and coordinate with national counsel consistent with the contingency agreement.