Seven Lower Merion families filed a federal lawsuit Thursday, Aug. 27, alleging the school district's mandatory technology policy violates their constitutional rights as parents.
The families, members of the grassroots group Pencils Over Pixels, are represented by the EdTech Law Center and Philadelphia-based firm Anapol Weiss. The complaint names Superintendent Frank Ranelli and the seven board members who voted to adopt the new policy without an opt-out option.
The suit asks a federal judge to issue an injunction restoring accommodations for parents who want to decline or limit their children's use of internet-connected devices, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported.
Andrew Liddell, an attorney with the EdTech Law Center, said the complaint alleges "profound violations of parents' rights and disruptions of family life caused by the district's policies."
Of the seven plaintiff families, three have children currently enrolled in the district. Three others withdrew their children because of the policy, and one family decided not to enroll at all.
What the complaint alleges
The lawsuit describes classrooms that have "become like a casino," with students repeatedly hitting keys while playing online games in an environment the complaint calls "loud, chaotic, and overstimulating." It alleges children encounter pornography and violent content through school devices, and that AI chatbots available on the devices encourage cheating.
The complaint also accuses the board of deciding to repeal the opt-out policy behind closed doors months before the public process began, calling the community meetings a "facade."
That accusation echoes an April 9 email from Ranelli, obtained through a Right-to-Know request and read aloud at the Aug. 3 policy committee meeting, as the Inquirer previously reported. In it, Ranelli wrote that the district wanted to ensure "the board sees the vision in not allowing parents to totally 'opt out' of getting a device and having to use it for part of our curriculum." Board President Kerry Sautner replied the next day: "Got it."
How the policy changed
The school board voted in June to repeal its former technology policy, which allowed parents to opt out of district-issued laptops and iPads. On Monday, Aug. 17, the board adopted a replacement policy in a 7-2 vote, as Patch reported, with board members Sarah Thomas and Abby Rubin opposing. That meeting was held entirely over Zoom after what the district described as threats against board members on social media.
Under the new policy, which takes effect for the 2026–27 school year starting Tuesday, Sept. 8: kindergarten through second grade will not receive personal devices; third and fourth graders get teacher-directed access; fifth and sixth graders receive devices that stay in the classroom unless parents request otherwise; seventh and eighth graders may take devices home but will not be penalized for skipping computer-based homework; and high schoolers carry devices throughout the day.
No opt-out exists at any grade level.
District response
District spokesperson Amy Buckman said the district denies the allegations and will respond through the judicial process.
The lawsuit arrives amid a broader push against children's technology exposure. Montgomery County sued Meta, ByteDance, Snap and Google earlier in August on behalf of its 148 schools and more than 180,000 students. Meta agreed this week to pay states up to $17.1 billion to settle claims its platforms harmed children, with Pennsylvania expected to receive more than $500 million.
No court date for the Lower Merion case has been announced.
