Jackson, Kentucky — A rural Kentucky school district has reached settlements with Meta, TikTok, Snap, and YouTube in a closely watched lawsuit accusing social media companies of contributing to student mental health problems and addiction.
The Breathitt County School District lawsuit was scheduled to go to trial next month in federal court in California and had been selected as a major bellwether case among roughly 1,200 similar lawsuits filed by school districts nationwide.
The district argued that social media addiction among students forced schools to spend heavily on counseling, behavioral support, and educational interventions. Officials sought more than $60 million to fund a proposed 15-year response program addressing student mental health and learning issues tied to excessive social media use.
Financial details of the settlements were not publicly disclosed. The agreements apply only to Breathitt County and do not resolve the broader nationwide litigation still pending against major technology companies.
The settlement follows recent legal setbacks for Meta and YouTube in other social media harm cases. Earlier this year, a California jury found Meta and YouTube liable in a lawsuit involving claims that addictive platform features worsened a child’s mental health struggles. A separate jury in New Mexico also found Meta violated state law regarding children’s safety and mental health.
Attorneys representing the Kentucky district said they will continue pursuing claims on behalf of other school systems involved in ongoing litigation.
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