Naperville District 203 board agrees to consider joining social media lawsuit

The Naperville District 203 School Board on Monday voted to pursue a nationwide lawsuit against social media platforms over their alleged impacts on schools and students’ mental health.

About 1,900 school districts nationwide, including more than 100 districts in Illinois, are participating in the lawsuit, Superintendent Dan Bridges said.

There is no upfront cost to the district, Bridges said. If there is a settlement or judgment, the attorney’s fees and litigation expenses would be deducted from whatever the district receives, he said.

The board passed a resolution to engage in discussions on potential litigation by a 6-0 vote, with member Melissa Kelley Black abstaining. The resolution starts an information-gathering process that will come back to the board for further review before the district officially joins the case, Bridges said.

District officials said nearly 40% of children ages 8 to 12 use social media, and brain development among early adolescent children is especially susceptible to social pressures and peer opinions, citing information from the surgeon general of the U.S. Public Health Service.

About one-third of girls 11 to 15 years old feel addicted to a social media platform, and social media may perpetuate body dissatisfaction, eating disorders and low self-esteem, the surgeon general said.

“I think social media really does have a huge impact on the mental health of our kids,” board member Joe Kozminski said.

No specific social media platforms were named as part of the potential litigation.

Kelley Black said she had concerns with the lawsuit, saying she believed it could cost the district money. The district’s own attorneys would have to review the litigation and there would be extensive work gathering documents, she said.

“We could be out money if this goes sideways,” Kelley Black said.

She also questioned how the district would prove its damages without revealing information about the mental health of its students. She said while she was concerned about the effects of social media, she wondered if students’ mental health records would be subpoenaed.

The resolution does not commit the district to the lawsuit, any costs or obligate the district to release any information about its students, Bridges said.

Board member Amanda McMillen said the district has committed funds to help students’ mental health, including hiring extra counselors, social workers and aides. The district was able to use federal pandemic relief funds to help offset the costs, but those funds are now gone, she said.

“I think that we have a strong case to demonstrate that it has actually cost us real money,” McMillen said.

Board member Kristine Gericke said the suit isn’t just about recouping costs, but maintaining supports the district has for its students.

Michelle Mullins is a freelance reporter for the Naperville Sun.