Cranston, R.I. — The National Education Association Rhode Island (NEARI) today called on state leaders to dedicate Rhode Island’s share of the landmark Meta settlement to public education, school-based mental health services and other resources addressing the growing mental health needs of children and young people.
Rhode Island is expected to receive at least $49.4 million and potentially $64.5 million from the multistate settlement with Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram. NEARI is urging elected officials to ensure those dollars are directed toward the young people who have borne the consequences of the harms at the center of the case.
“Our children are in crisis, and our teachers and support staff see it every day in classrooms and schools across the Ocean State,” said NEARI Executive Director Mary Barden. “Students need more support, and districts simply do not have enough social workers and mental health resources to meet the need. This settlement gives Rhode Island a rare opportunity to make a substantial investment in children’s mental health. Money recovered in a case centered on alleged harm to young people should be used to help those young people heal, thrive, and succeed.”
The settlement resolves claims by Rhode Island and dozens of other states alleging that Meta knowingly used its technology to design Instagram with addictive features targeted at young people, exposing them to mental health harm, and misled the public about the platform’s safety features.
“Our schools are being asked to respond to a youth mental health crisis without the staffing or resources necessary to do it,” said Barden. “Rhode Island now has the opportunity – and the responsibility – to put meaningful resources behind the children and families who need them. These dollars should go where they can make a direct difference in young people’s lives.”
The National Education Association Rhode Island (NEARI) is a union and professional organization with a proud history of serving Rhode Island since 1845. NEARI is nearly 12,000 members strong, we are classroom teachers; education support professionals; higher education faculty, staff, and graduate assistants; municipal and state workers; and retirees. We are affiliated with the National Education Association (NEA) and RI AFL-CIO. Learn more at www.neari.org.
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