(Texas Scorecard) – Houston Independent School District has joined over 200 school districts nationwide in a lawsuit accusing social media companies of causing mental harm to students.
Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Youtube, and TikTok are accused of creating costs for school districts attempting to mitigate the mental damage caused by their applications.
The school board voted 9-0 to join the lawsuit.
“Defendants’ choices have generated extraordinary corporate profits—and yielded immense tragedy. Suicide rates for youth are up an alarming 57%. Emergency room visits for anxiety disorders are up 117%. In the decade leading up to 2020, there was a 40% increase in school students reporting persistent sadness and hopelessness, and a 36% increase in those who attempted to take their own lives,” the lawsuit states.
The lawsuit was initially filed by Seattle Public Schools in 2023.
The school districts are asking the courts to stop social media platforms alleged intentional and harmful practices targeting youth and to order companies to provide resources needed by districts to address the mental health needs of affected students.
Houston ISD approved hiring three Texas-based law firms to represent the school district in the case. According to reports, the firms would only be paid if the district wins the case or settles.
Northside ISD in San Antonio also joined the lawsuit last week.
The lawsuit moved forward in October 2024 when California U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers denied a motion to dismiss, rejecting the claim by defendants that the injuries were too remote to be redressed and saying that section 230 of the Communications Act did not protect the companies from the claims made.
The lawsuit seeks financial compensation to support mental health resources and changes to platform designs to reduce harm to students.
“Funds meant for educational purposes have been reallocated to address the misconduct of the corporations behind Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, YouTube, and Facebook. Social media companies should be held accountable and provide support to schools for the harms their products cause,” Lexi Hazam, an attorney for the plaintiffs told Education Week.
Houston ISD highlighted additional costs to the district to pay for staff to address the social and emotional needs of students harmed by the companies as well as the costs of repairing property damage caused by students participating in viral challenges promoted by the algorithms.