From left, Knoch School District superintendent David Foley, school director Donna Eakin and solicitor Thomas Breth attend the Wednesday, May 10, school board meeting. William Pitts/Butler Eagle

JEFFERSON TWP — At its monthly meeting Wednesday night, May 10, the Knoch School Board unanimously voted to join an expanding lawsuit against the world’s biggest social media companies, including the owners of Facebook, Twitter and TikTok.

Knoch will join other school districts in Western Pennsylvania, including Seneca Valley, Mars Area and Moniteau, in a sprawling lawsuit that pins the blame on the social media giants for creating a mental health crisis among the nation’s youth.

“There is no cost to the district,” said solicitor Thomas Breth, who is also a lawyer with the firm Dillon McCandless King Coulter & Graham. “We’re not going to incur any legal fees or court costs. It’s really joining existing social media litigation.”