Friday, October 16, 2026
The Locust Valley Central School District Board of Education voted Wednesday to authorize legal action against social media companies as part of a nationwide effort by school districts seeking compensation for the impact of social media on schools.
The resolution, approved during the board’s Oct. 14 meeting, authorizes the law firms Frantz Law Group and Guercio & Guercio to commence litigation against parties identified in a confidential schedule. Two board members abstained from the vote, and the resolution passed.
During the discussion, Reesa F. Miles, an attorney representing the district on behalf of Guercio & Guercio, explained that the case is part of a federal class action involving school districts across the country. She said approximately 1,500 districts were participating, though she did not know how many Long Island districts had joined.
Miles said there would be no cost to the district to join the litigation, although administrators would need to spend time documenting the effects of social media on the school community.
Any compensation would go to the district, with the amount depending on the harm it could demonstrate.
“The more substantial an impact a school district can show,” Miles explained, “based on the documentation accumulated by the attorney who’s handling the matter, the more money you would be able to receive as a result.”
She 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.
Board member Nicholas Della Ferra asked whether participation could require staff to provide evidence or testimony, whether student information would be shared and whether the litigation sought changes to how social media companies operate. Miles said the district would initially be asked to complete a fact sheet and provide general information, and she did not believe specific student information would be required.
She said the lawsuit was primarily focused on monetary relief, though districts could indicate the types of damages they wished to seek.
The attorney also said she had not seen a specific state Education Department position on the litigation.
The board also reviewed proposed resolutions for the New York State School Boards Association’s 2026 convention, including several addressing artificial intelligence and technology in schools.
Among the proposals were measures calling for paper-and-pencil options for state tests in grades three through five, a comprehensive study comparing computer-based and paper testing, and requiring technology companies to notify districts when software updates introduce artificial intelligence features and allow districts to opt out.
Other proposals would seek to prohibit artificial intelligence from serving as an educator of record, assigning official grades, evaluating student behavior or making high-stakes decisions involving discipline, promotion or graduation.
Another would establish stricter safety, privacy and duty-of-care requirements for companies providing student-facing AI products.
The board also considered resolutions addressing education funding, teacher certification, charter school transparency, special education services for students through age 22, student transportation funding and universal prekindergarten requirements.
The resolutions are intended to express support for proposals advanced by school districts around the state. Board members approved a package of resolutions for consideration, with Trustee Krystina Tomlinson selected as the district’s representative to the state convention.
Earlier in the meeting, Superintendent Kristen Turnow highlighted upcoming community events, including a historical football film program and homecoming activities.
The district and the Locust Valley Library will host “Friday Night Lights” on Oct. 23, showcasing preserved footage of past football games.
The library secured a grant to preserve the recordings, which include black-and-white footage offering a glimpse of the community in earlier decades.
The event begins at 6 p.m., with the program starting at 6:30 p.m.
The district will also offer tours of its recently renovated facilities during homecoming on Oct. 24.
Tours will run from 11:15 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. and include the renovated middle and high school cafeteria and the new research library center.
