'Clearly an issue of privacy': Lower Merion parents sue school district over device policy changes
Lower Merion device policy changes in schools spark lawsuit by parents
Seven parents are suing the Lower Merion School Board to challenge new technology rules that remove the parent opt-out for classroom devices.
LOWER MERION TWP., Pa. - Thousands of students in Lower Merion returned to school under new technology rules, with parents no longer allowed to opt out of school-issued devices for their children, according to school officials.
What we know:
A group of seven parents is suing the Lower Merion School Board, arguing that the new technology policy takes away their ability to reject classroom devices and violates their rights.
The district has outlined device use rules by grade but has not detailed time restrictions or other specific parameters, according to superintendent communications.
The Lower Merion School District says it has introduced safeguards to limit overuse and is working towards a balanced approach in learning.
The district's decision could influence how other schools manage classroom technology, as some parents push for more control and less device dependency.
Community reaction intensifies as parents seek legal remedy
The changes come after months of debate and a crowded school board meeting where more than 600 parents signed a petition asking for the right to opt out of computer use for their kids.
One parent said, "leave the opt out for the people who need if it's not working for our kid. Their brains are not developed need guardrails." Another added concern about individualized learning, stating the district is "not gonna happen not Set up as a district to have 1 on 1. Not in policy."
The group of parents suing the district says the new policy raises issues of privacy and exposure to inappropriate content. "Clearly an issue of privacy, issues of inappropriate, dangerous content," said Yair Lev, one of the parents involved in the lawsuit.
"To date there’s really no benefit show that education technology is better than teacher-led technology, where a teacher-led education where a student is in front of a teacher looking into their eyes, talking to other colleagues," said Lev.
Under the new policy, individual devices are largely removed from the youngest students.
Third and fourth graders have limited, teacher-supervised use, while fifth and sixth graders are assigned devices that can be kept at school or taken home at the parent's discretion. All students in seventh grade and above are assigned devices for use both in and out of school.
The district maintains that there are safeguards in place to prevent misuse. However, the superintendent was not available for an interview.
"This policy will let kids have more technology if they need more technology but it won’t let kids have less technology if they want less," said Andy Liddell with the Ed Tech Law Center.
Parent Andy Bees, who is not a part of the lawsuit, shared, "My biggest issue is I don’t have anything to hang on the fridge. I don’t have insight into my sons, what he is doing in school, what he is learning so it prevent us from really having conversations about something in math, something in biology. I like that stuff."
What's next:
Attorneys for the parents are asking a federal judge to grant a preliminary injunction, allowing parents to opt out of classroom devices while the lawsuit continues.
What we don't know:
It is unclear when the judge will rule on the preliminary injunction or how long the legal case might last.
The Source: Information from the Lower Merion School District meeting and parent statements.