BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) – Buffalo Public Schools is joining a class action lawsuit against social media companies to try and recover some of the money they’re spending on what they say is a mental health crisis among young people.
School districts and cities across the country have already joined this lawsuit and now Buffalo Schools are doing so as well. The district says it has had to hire more counselors and train staff to address mental health issues among students and is seeking damages.
A bipartisan group of attorneys general across the country, including New York State Attorney General Letitia James, have already filed a federal lawsuit against Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram, claiming the company intentionally designed features on Instagram and Facebook to be addictive to teens and young children.
On Wednesday night, the Buffalo Board of Education passed a resolution to join the lawsuit. News 4 spoke to Buffalo School Board Member Larry Scott about the action the district is taking.