UPPER MARLBORO, MD – Prince George’s County Public Schools, one of the 20 largest school districts in the country, today filed a lawsuit against social media companies Meta, Google, ByteDance, and Snap Inc. alleging that their addictive products are exacerbating the youth mental health crisis for its student body. Rising social media use has caused an alarming increase in student mental health challenges and placed a significant burden on the school system to provide adequate and essential mental health resources for its more than 131,000 students.

Prince George’s County joins school districts nationwide in alleging that defendants’ social media products are intentionally designed to target and addict children. The algorithms driving these platforms are designed to manipulate users, especially young people, into falling down “rabbit holes” so that they stay on the apps for as long as possible. The dangerous design of these products is a substantial factor in the increase in disordered eating, depression, and suicidal ideations among teens.

The school district alleges these companies prioritize profit over the safety and well-being of children through their advertising-based business models, despite being aware of the detrimental effects. The defendants promote their platforms – Instagram, YouTube, Snapchat, and TikTok – to children and make huge profits from doing so, leaving schools and parents to deal with the fallout.

Due to the ongoing addiction crisis, the Prince George’s County school system is confronted with the task of providing adequate mental health resources to its students. As a result, funds that should be directed towards vital educational resources have been redirected to combat the harmful effects of social media. Through this lawsuit, the Board aims to bring about much-needed change in how these platforms exploit children and seeks financial support to address this crisis rather than having to use taxpayer funds.

“Our primary goal is to ensure the safety and well-being of our children, allowing them to learn and receive the highest quality education possible,” said Judy Mickens-Murray, the school board Chair. “Unfortunately, students in our district and throughout the nation are confronting unparalleled mental health and learning challenges caused by their addiction to social media, intensified by detrimental algorithms and features. It is imperative that these companies take responsibility for their role in this crisis affecting our youth.”

The Prince George’s County Public Schools are represented in the lawsuit by Baird Mandalas Brockstedt Federico & Cardea of Baltimore and Delaware, Shadoan, Michael & Wells of Prince George’s County and Montgomery County, and Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein, Co-Lead Counsel in the nationwide Multi-District Litigation against these companies. The firms work on a contingency basis, meaning there will be no cost to taxpayers.

“School systems nationwide, including Prince George’s County, face the challenge of meeting student needs while delivering exceptional education and fostering a positive learning atmosphere,” said Dennis Whitley, III, an attorney representing the school board. “Through this lawsuit, it is our hope to hold social media companies responsible for their role in the youth mental health crisis and to compensate Prince George’s County School District for the financial burden they have faced because of these defendants’ exploitative platforms.”

For more information, please contact Erica DeStefano at erica (at) rebuttalpr.com.

Washington, D.C. (February 25, 2022) – Today, the National Prescription Opiate Litigation Plaintiffs’ Executive Committee confirmed participation of over 90% of litigating local governments nationwide in the $26 billion global opioid settlements finalized with the “Big Three” drug distributors – AmerisourceBergen, Cardinal Health, and McKesson – and opioid manufacturer Johnson & Johnson.

The settlements require 85% of funds be allocated to programs that will help address the ongoing opioid crisis through treatment, education, and prevention efforts. A majority of states have already passed agreements that dictate how funds will be distributed between state and local subdivision governments, ensuring funds will effectively reach communities in the coming months.

The settlement was made possible in part by the years of advocacy by the entire Plaintiffs’ Executive Committee (PEC) on behalf of their more than 3,300 community clients. This team of lawyers worked for over four years to position these cases for this unprecedented resolution and cultivated collaborative working relationships with the State Attorneys General. The Plaintiffs’ Executive Committee continues to work actively with all parties to address the unique needs of the few states and communities that have yet to sign onto the agreements. The settlements currently have 100% participation from litigating local governments in nearly forty states.

Statement from PEC negotiation team of Elizabeth Cabraser of Lieff Cabraser, Jayne Conroy of Simmons Hanly Conroy, Paul Geller of Robbins Geller, Peter Mougey of Levin Papantonio Rafferty, Joe Rice of Motley Rice LLC, Jennifer Scullion of Seeger Weiss, and Chris Seeger of Seeger Weiss:

We arrived at this moment after years of work by community leaders across the country who committed themselves to seeking funds they need to combat the opioid epidemic. We must also recognize the efforts of the many attorneys general and private counsel who have relentlessly pursued long overdue opioid epidemic recovery resources on behalf of their constituents and clients. The bottom line from this news is that help is on the way for first responders and healthcare workers on the front lines of this public health crisis. While nothing can truly make whole what was lost in this country, what we can do is ensure that thousands of communities nationwide have the tools they need to prevent the opioid epidemic from taking more lives. We hope this agreement does exactly that. It is also important to remember that while this is a vital step, it is only one of the many that are necessary to put an end to this crisis. We will continue our work at the negotiation table and in court during the trials ahead to hold companies in the opioid supply chain accountable.

The settlement is the first of its kind to administer resources directly to the state and local governments specifically for relief programs to help rebuild the devastation caused by the opioid epidemic. The settlement will distribute funds based on population adjusted for the proportionate share of the opioid epidemic impact. The share of the impact is calculated using detailed, and objective national data, including the amount of opioids shipped to the state, the number of opioid-related deaths that occurred in the state and the number of people who suffer opioid use disorder in the state.

Initial deposits were put into escrow in 2021 and the first round of funding for many programs could be delivered as soon as May 2022 following a consent judgment within each participating state. Additional funds are expected to be received by July 2022. The settlement also calls for injunctive relief that requires the “Big Three” drug distributors and Johnson & Johnson to make significant changes to corporate practices to protect consumer health and welfare.

Litigation continues in state and federal courts around the country against other companies in the opioid supply chain. This settlement follows the jury verdict from November 23, 2021 in the federal trial in Ohio that found CVS, Walgreens, and Walmart liable for fueling the opioid crisis in Lake County and Trumbull County of Ohio. A judge will determine the value of the opioid epidemic abatement funds owed by pharmacy chains to these communities in May 2022. A bench trial decision is pending in West Virginia federal court where Cabell County and the City of Huntington brought a case against the “Big Three” distributors. Both the Ohio and West Virginia trials are part of the federal opioid litigation, which involves more than 3,300 communities across the United States holding drug manufacturers, distributors, and pharmacy chains accountable amid the ongoing and worsening opioid epidemic. The federal trial involving the City of San Francisco against pharmacy chain defendants will begin on April 25, 2022. In a case conducted jointly by PEC firms and the Attorney General of New York, manufacturer Teva and distributor Anda were found liable by a jury on December 30, 2021.

Updated information about these settlements are available at the Plaintiffs’ Executive Committee negotiation team’s website: www.nationalopioidsettlement.com.

The Duke Law community is mourning the passing of Professor Francis E. McGovern, who died on Feb. 14 following a fall at his home in Marin County, Calif. McGovern was renowned for his expertise in alternative dispute resolution (ADR) and his innovative work as a special master and mediator overseeing or advising on the management and settlement of mass tort claims. He is remembered by his colleagues as a cherished friend.

Read the full article on the Duke Law website.