BY DAN HILDEBRAN
General manager
KEYSTONE HEIGHTS—A Jacksonville attorney asked the Clay County School Board to join a class action lawsuit against the owners of Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and other social media companies.
Wayne Hogan told board members during a Nov. 28 workshop that his firm is representing the Putnam and Duval County school districts in a lawsuit against the social media companies and hopes to add the Clay, St. Johns, and Lake school districts as plaintiffs.
Hagan said that in the same way his firm is seeking compensation from opioid manufacturers and consultants for the additional costs school districts must incur because of the opioid epidemic, his firm is now going after the social media companies.
He said mobile devices and social media platforms dominate the lives of 11 to 13-year-olds and that social media platforms are responsible for the increase in depression, anxiety, eating disorders, low self-esteem, and suicides of teenagers.
“And the end result of that is that school districts all across the country are having to bear the additional expense for mental health counseling (and) other types of assistance,” he said, “and the security concerns that are involved when students are in one way or another out of control or unable to control their own actions.”
Board member Beth Clark called Hogan’s proposal “a wonderful idea.”
“I just cringe at the thought of having to do with more mental health,” she said. “We’re already so burdened with that. I’d love to see it go the other way.”
Hogan said that before the board joins the litigation, it should get input from the community. He added that he would stay in touch with the board’s attorney about any further action the school district might take.
