The Penn-Harris-Madison School Corp. is joining a massive litigation effort to hold electronic cigarette maker JUUL responsible for what the district’s lawsuit claims to be dangerous and deceptive marketing practices targeting pre-teens and teenagers across the country.

In a lawsuit filed Monday, the Penn-Harris-Madison district says it has dedicated “significant and unexpected levels of time and resources” toward combating what P-H-M’s complaint characterized as a public health crisis among its schools.

The district claims marketing efforts – such as appealing to teens through social media influencers, promoting “kid-friendly” e-cigarette flavors like mango and cool mint and advertising on children’s websites like Nick Jr. and Cartoon Network – intentionally targeted young people more susceptible to the damage caused by nicotine’s addictive properties.

The South Bend Tribune reports the lawsuit further asserts that JUUL’s marketing practices were misleading and often downplayed the presence of nicotine in its products, leaving some students and parents to believe the leading e-cigarette company’s vaping products were harmless.

P-H-M is seeking punitive and statutory damages, legal compensation and financial relief to fund new prevention education and addiction treatment efforts under Indiana’s public nuisance law, according to the 309-page lawsuit.