Simcoe County District School Board joins lawsuit against Meta, TikTok and Snapchat

Simcoe County District School Board has become the latest Ontario school board to join the complainants in the lawsuit against TikTok, Meta and Snapchat.

In March, several school boards, which included the Toronto District School Board, Toronto Catholic District School Board, Peel District School Board, and the public board in the Ottawa-Carleton district, filed four statements of claim against the social media giants.

The school boards are suing for more than 4 billion dollars in damages, in which their claims say the platforms have caused mental health issues and violent episodes in their schools.

On Thursday, the Simcoe County District School Board said social media platforms have significantly impacted students and educators at their schools.

Simcoe County District School Board Chair Jodi Lloyd told CTV News that the lawsuit is necessary to ensure students' future success.

"You know, we believe that there has been a significant cost to school boards and the province to address and respond to these matters," said Lloyd.

Lloyd says she hopes that, through this lawsuit, social media companies will be held accountable for their influence on students.

"We are stretching our resources to the limit to support our students, and we need additional resources, and that comes at a cost," said Lloyd.

Lloyd says the school board still needs to file a claim with a dollar figure, however it is something the board and its lawyers will be working on over the next few weeks and months.

As for the Simcoe Muskoka Catholic District School Board, a spokesperson told CTV News that the board is still investigating the matter and will talk with trustees and senior team members before making any decisions.