U-46 School District Joins Nationwide Lawsuit Against Social Media Companies

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U-46 Elgin Area School district is joining a nationwide lawsuit against several social media companies that alleges the platforms have harmed the mental health of children.

The U-46 school board voted to approve a resolution on Monday September 11, 2023 that accuses social media of increasing the risk for anxiety, depression and suicidal tendencies among students. 

Read the resolution below:

​WHEREAS, in recent years the proliferation of and widespread access to and use of social media among public school students has expanded dramatically, leading to significant risks of anxiety, depression, thoughts of self-harm, and suicidal ideation among students;

WHEREAS, students attending Elgin School District U-46 (the “District")  have been part of this phenomenon by engaging with social media in school and on school grounds in addition to outside of school;

WHEREAS, the District's students' widespread adoption, consumption, and use of social media has caused the District to incur costs in the form of staff time, disciplinary proceedings, emotional and social counseling, medical services, and other costs, with the expectation that these costs will only increase unless and until student use of social media is reduced or the social media platforms reform their practices in attracting students;

WHEREAS, the District has become aware of litigation against Meta Platforms, Inc. Facebook Holdings LLC, Snap Inc, TikTok Inc., Alphabet Inc. and other parties responsible for the creation, design, marketing, and proliferation of social media platforms, with this litigation now involving more than 335 U.S. public school districts across more than 11 states and being led by the Frantz Law Group, APLC of California; and

WHEREAS, the Board of Education (the “Board") of the District has determined that it is necessary, advantageous, desirable, and in the public interest and the best interests of the District that it participate in this litigation by filing a lawsuit seeking monetary and non-monetary damages against the above-referenced social media companies and other parties responsible for the harm caused by social media platforms by approving the Attorney Client Fee Contract with Frantz Law Group, APLC (the “Contract"), attached as Exhibit A, with the law firm of Franczek P.C. acting as local co-counsel for the District.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Board of Education of Elgin School District U-46, Kane, Cook and DuPage Counties, Illinois, as follows:

1. The Board finds that all of the recitals contained above are true and correct, and that the same are hereby incorporated herein by reference.
2. The Board authorizes the filing of a lawsuit against Meta Platforms, Inc. Facebook Holdings LLC, Snap Inc, TikTok Inc., Alphabet Inc. and other parties consistent with the recitals set forth above.
3. The Contract is hereby approved in substantially the form reviewed by the Board and attached as Exhibit A, together with such minor modifications as are deemed necessary by the Board's attorneys and administrators to protect the best interests of the District.
4. The President and Secretary are hereby authorized to sign and enter into the Contract on behalf of the District.
5. This Resolution shall be in full force and effect upon its adoption.
   

​Source:  https://go.boarddocs.com/il/u46/Board.nsf/Public