The Cleveland County School Board has voted not to join a national lawsuit against Meta and other social media companies, passing on a possible share of any settlement.
The board made the decision at its regular October meeting in Rison, the Cleveland County Herald first reported. Deltaplex News also reported the vote. The district’s meeting records list the board’s October session on Oct. 12.
What the board weighed
Superintendent Davy King told board members that districts across Arkansas have been invited to join the case. He said the choice belonged to the board.
- Cost to join: King said joining carried no cost and no risk to the district, according to the Herald.
- Possible payout: He said the district could receive money if the case settles, but he did not estimate an amount.
- The claim: The lawsuit says the companies built addictive features into Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat and YouTube. Schools say that drove student mental health problems and forced them to spend more on counseling and staff time.
Other districts split
Arkansas districts have not agreed on the case. Fayetteville, Springdale, Rogers, Nashville and Camden Fairview are among the districts that have joined, according to the reports, and Fort Smith has announced plans to pursue claims. Gurdon filed its own federal lawsuit in September. Eureka Springs voted not to join this month.
An early test case in rural Kentucky ended with settlements of about $27 million for the Breathitt County School District, a district of about 1,700 students.
About the district
The Cleveland County School District runs Rison High School and Rison Elementary from its office on Main Street in Rison. It is one of two school districts in Cleveland County, along with the Woodlawn School District.
Sources: Cleveland County Herald; Deltaplex News; Cleveland County School District meeting records.
