In response to the selection of the bellwether cases, the social media companies have filed several critical motions in an attempt to have the cases dismissed before they reach a jury.
Motions for Summary Judgment
The defendants have asked the Court to rule in their favor and dismiss the cases without a trial. They argue that school districts cannot prove that their specific platforms are the direct cause of the youth mental health crisis and that they are not responsible for user-generated content. They also challenge the districts' financial claims for damages, calling them speculative "wish-lists."
On November 21, 2025, the Plaintiff Steering Committee and the bellwether districts filed a massive, thousand-plus page opposition. Our core argument is that there are significant factual disputes that must be decided by a jury. We have presented substantial evidence that the companies knowingly designed addictive products that fueled a mental health crisis, disrupted education, and failed to warn anyone of the known and documented risks to kids. We maintain that our requests for funding are not speculative but are concrete, expert-backed remedies required to address the harm caused by these platforms. A link to the publicly available School Districts' Omnibus Motion for Summary Judgment Response is included here.
Expert Challenge Motions
The defendants have also filed motions to exclude the testimony of the school districts' expert witnesses, arguing their opinions are not reliable or relevant. We have strongly opposed these motions, asserting that our experts and their methodologies are sound and their testimony is crucial for a jury to hear.
The date for the Judge to hear oral arguments on both the summary judgment and the expert testimony motions is scheduled for January 26, 2026.
