LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) – Jefferson County Public Schools became the latest school district to sue Juul and other electronic cigarette makers after a unanimous vote by the school board Tuesday.
Kentucky’s largest school district joins Fayette County Public Schools and Bullitt County Public Schools in pursuing multi-district litigation against Juul and other e-cigarette manufacturers.
Jefferson County Board of Education member Chris Brady said that type of lawsuit allows school districts to seek damages from companies without spending tax dollars on litigation. JCPS, like FCPS and BCPS, will be represented by attorney Ronald Johnson of Louisville-based Hendry Johnson Vaughn Emery.
The lawsuit, like those from other school districts across the country, will be filed in federal court in San Francisco, California.
Those districts contend that the companies are responsible for getting youth hooked on nicotine as schools grapple with a rapid increase of student vaping, something JCPS is also pursuing in its legal action. JCPS Superintendent Marty Pollio said in a statement that Juul and other manufacturers clearly “market to young people and are putting their health at risk.”
The litigation “shows the commitment of our board and our district to protect children,” he said.
JCPS is looking to recoup costs associated with counseling, educating and disciplining students in vaping-related matters.
“This is a pretty insidious product that can cause a lot of long-term damage, and a lot of it is unknown at this point because there’s really very little regulation surrounding the use and manufacture of these products,” Brady told reporters after Tuesday’s board vote.
JCPS, which rolled out the anti-vaping campaign called “Vaping Equals” last school year, confiscated 674 nicotine products from students in 2018-19, a dramatic increase from the 281 confiscations the previous school year.
In a news release, the district said that vaping-related incidents are up 61% through the first 92 days of the 2019-20 school year from 92 incidents last year to 148 this year.
Juul has stopped selling flavored products, other than menthol, in the U.S. in response to growing public pressure to curb youth vaping.
The company has denied targeting youth in its advertising.
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