KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Lawrence Public Schools on Monday became the latest Kansas school district to join a lawsuit against a major e-cigarette manufacturer.
The school board voted unanimously to approve an agreement for legal services to join the litigation against Juul.
Lawrence joins several other schools in Kansas, including the Olathe, Blue Valley, Shawnee Mission and De Soto school districts, that have advanced legal action against the company.
According to the school board agenda, the district has incurred “additional costs related to education, enforcement and monitoring to minimize the use of these devices at school. The litigation against Juul is intended to recover those additional costs.”
The districts suing the e-cigarette maker argue that Juul targets its advertising campaigns to young people. Juul has said that it markets to adult smokers and recently stopped selling popular flavors as a response to lawsuits filed across the country.
Also Monday, the Lawrence Board of Education voted unanimously to give high school students the option to start their school days at 9 a.m., rather than 8:05 a.m.
Students who opt for the later start will still finish school at 3 p.m. by taking six classes per day, rather than seven.
The option for the later start will begin with the 2020-2021 school year.
