The Locust Valley Central School District has recently joined a nationwide legal effort seeking to hold social media companies accountable for their impact on students’ mental health. Superintendent Kristen Turnow says the action builds on years of district efforts to limit technology-related distractions and protect children.
The Board of Education voted to authorize legal action against companies on Oct. 14 identified in a confidential schedule as part of litigation involving Meta, TikTok, Snapchat and YouTube. The resolution passed, with two board members abstaining.
The case is part of a federal class action involving school districts across the country. Reesa F. Miles, an attorney representing Locust Valley through the Long Island-based Guercio & Guercio, told the board that approximately 1,500 districts nationwide were participating.
The district is working with Guercio & Guercio and the Frantz Law Group, in California, which is coordinating litigation involving school districts. Miles said there would be no cost to the district to join, although administrators would need to spend time documenting social media’s effects on the school community.
Any compensation would go to the district, with the amount depending on the harm the lawsuit could demonstrate. Miles compared the case to litigation involving Juul, the electronic cigarette company, in which school districts sought compensation for the effects of vaping on their communities.
Turnow said the decision reflects a broader effort to protect students’ well-being, preserve their ability to focus and encourage meaningful relationships.
Turnow, who joined the district in 2023, said Locust Valley moved early to restrict cellphones in school. That fall, the district prohibited cellphone use during the school day, aiming to reduce distractions and limit the negative interactions students could encounter through social media.
The district also stopped sending Chromebooks home with students in kindergarten through fifth-grade, instead keeping the devices in lockable, charging storage units in classrooms. Turnow said the change was intended to encourage students to use textbooks and other classroom materials while allowing teachers to oversee technology use.
The district has also worked to provide more opportunities for students to interact in person. Renovations to the middle and high school cafeteria, the creation of new outdoor gathering spaces and changes to the library were intended to encourage students to socialize and collaborate rather than spend time on their phones.
“We keep encouraging our students to interact face to face, and we’ve provided the spaces for them,” Turnow said.
The district has also held educational sessions for parents and students about social media risks. Turnow said she brought in a presenter to speak with elementary school parents about potential dangers children may encounter online. In October 2025, she participated in a panel at the Greenville Boys & Girls Club about social media’s effects on children’s and teenagers’ mental and physical well-being.
Turnow said the district has also documented incidents involving inappropriate cellphone and social media use. When students report online harassment, for example, they may provide screenshots to school administrators. The district records incidents brought to its attention, and Turnow said the number of referrals to principals and assistant principals related to social media declined after cellphone restrictions were introduced.
The district also tracks information shared with school counselors and psychologists when students seek help over online targeting or harassment. Turnow said particularly serious incidents may be referred to police.
During the Oct. 14 meeting, board members asked whether joining the lawsuit could require staff to provide testimony or records and whether student information would be shared. Miles said additional evidence could potentially be required if the case proceeded to trial, but she did not expect the district to need to provide specific student information at this stage. The initial fact sheet seeks enrollment figures and general information about the school community.
Miles said the litigation primarily seeks monetary relief, although the fact sheet asks districts what types of damages they wish to pursue. She also said she had not seen a specific position from the state Education Department on the lawsuit.
For Turnow, the issue extends beyond financial compensation. She said the district’s decision was motivated by the responsibility educators have to keep children safe and help them develop the skills to navigate the online world.
“I think that (these companies) should be held accountable,” Turnow said, “and I think that they need stringent regulations put on them.”
Turnow said the district would continue educating families about digital safety, including ways parents can restrict access through their children’s phones. The district is also reviewing how students use artificial intelligence, which she described as an evolving issue that requires clear guidance on appropriate and inappropriate use.
She said the lawsuit represents an opportunity for school districts to collectively express concerns about the effects of social media on children.
“At the end of the day, we want our children to be safe,” Turnow said. “We want them to feel good about themselves. We don’t want them feeling isolated or alone or confused because people are using social media, that’s upsetting to them, and they don’t always have all the skill sets.”
