Clarksville-Montgomery County School System sues social media giants citing ‘mental health crisis’ among students

CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) – The Clarksville-Montgomery County School System has filed a lawsuit against several social media sites, citing damages and a growing mental health crisis among its students.

The lawsuit seeks “actionable” accountability, tools, and resources to address the alleged lack of protections, monitors, controls, and cooperation to protect children, according to a media release regarding the lawsuit. The companies included in the lawsuit are Meta, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, Google, WhatsApp, and YouTube.

“I think it’s fantastic, more power to them. I think it’s amazing for accountability and just keeping a better watch on everything our kids are exposed to or could be exposed to,” Clarksville mother, Sandie Frank, said.

Franz Law Group in California, working alongside Lewis Thomason in Tennessee, filed the lawsuit on behalf of the school system.

“There are a litany of issues caused by children using social media without proper protections in place,” Attorney Chris McCarty, of Lewis Thomason Law Firm, said in the media release. “These issues cause disruptions in schools, increased costs, and safety concerns. The Clarksville-Montgomery County School System is taking a brave and proactive step to seek accountability and marked changes in the way social media giants interact with children.”

“I support it 100 percent, I mean, I think that a grassroots movement starts at the lowest levels,” Clarksville father, Jason Barr said. “[Social media] creates a whole new challenge for parents. You don’t only have to worry about them when they’re out of your sight, but they may be sitting at the dinner table being [cyber] bullied.”

The Clarksville-Montgomery County School System is the seventh-largest school district in Tennessee with 43 schools and more than 38,000 students.

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