The Waterloo Central School District Board of Education has approved a partial settlement of litigation against Juul Labs Inc., the maker of e-cigarettes and vaping devices. The settlement will provide the district with a cash payment of no less than $28,736, with the district receiving 54% of that amount by late 2023, and the rest coming in payments in 2024-26.
Waterloo is one of over 1,400 school districts in 25 states to join the lawsuit against Juul. Litigation against e-cigarette and vaping device maker Altria and others will continue.
According to a resolution approved by the board, the use and abuse of e-cigarettes and vaping devices has increased dramatically among high and middle-school students, leading to significant risks of addiction and potentially life-threatening respiratory ailments. The resolution notes that students attending Waterloo schools have not been immune to this phenomenon in schools and on school grounds.
The resolution also stated that the use of e-cigarettes and vaping devices has caused the school district to incur costs in the form of staff time, disciplinary proceedings, and other costs, with the expectation that these costs will only increase unless and until student use of these devices decreases and stops.
In other news, the board accepted the retirement notice of high school principal Mary Thomas Madonna, effective April 15, and approved a new labor contract with the Waterloo Non-Instructional Employees Association.
FingerLakes1.com is the region’s leading all-digital news publication. The company was founded in 1998 and has been keeping residents informed for more than two decades. Have a lead? Send it to [email protected]