Van Buren Schools Join In Lawsuit Against Social Media Companies

The Van Buren County Board of Education voted unanimously Wednesday to join numerous school boards across Tennessee in a lawsuit against various social media corporations.

The list of companies contains many popular social media platforms including Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and TikTok. Director of Schools Jared Copeland said the lawsuit targets the negative impacts of social media on young people.

“It’s been an ongoing problem for years now, and it continues to grow and grow and grow every day,” Copeland said. “Not just us, but schools across the nation deal with issues from social media.”

The goal of the lawsuit is to require these social media companies to have stronger restrictions, both in how they market themselves to children and how easily children can make and manage their own accounts without any adult supervision.

The lawsuit began with the Clarksville-Montgomery County School System in May of 2023, and a number of education boards across Tennessee are joining them in their efforts. The lawsuit will not cost the county anything, as the legal team behind the case is relying on a contingency fee for their payment. The case is being handled by Frantz Law Group in California alongside Lewis Thomason in Tennessee.

“It’s just kind of a starting point in the conversation of how can we protect these kids, and how can we look out for their best interests as a whole,” Copeland said.