Tech giant Meta settles with tiny KY school district over social media lawsuit

In a resolution of national significance, Meta agreed Thursday to settle a social media addiction lawsuit brought by Breathitt County Schools, according to the school district’s attorneys.

Ronald Johnson, a Louisville lawyer and the lead attorney for Breathitt County Schools in the case, confirmed the resolution to the Herald-Leader Friday.

“Our focus remains on pursuing justice for the remaining 1,200 school districts who have filed cases,” Johnson said. Johnson said he worked with Chris Seeger and Previn Warren in the case.

Breathitt County Superintendent Phillip Watts did not immediately comment Friday.

The lawsuits allege the social media companies created addictive technologies, causing significant costs for mental health counseling, tech programs and other services that schools paid for.

YouTube, Snapchat and TikTok had previously settled with Breathitt County Schools.

Meta and YouTube suffered court losses earlier this year in similar lawsuits, NBC reported.

Breathitt County’s settlement terms haven’t been disclosed, but the school district’s lawsuit sought more than $60 million, according to multiple media reports.

This story was originally published May 21, 2026 at 9:02 PM.