© 2025 New Hampshire Public Radio

Persons with disabilities who need assistance accessing NHPR's FCC public files, please contact us at publicfile@nhpr.org.
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations
Support essential local news and protect public media with a donation today!

Manchester School District Joins Lawsuit Against OxyContin Drugmaker

File Photo, NHPR

The Manchester School District is filing a legal claim against Purdue Pharma for that company's role in the opioid crisis.

Purdue Pharma made and marketed the highly addictive painkiller OxyContin, which many blame for high rates of opioid addiction. The company has since declared bankruptcy.

The Manchester Board of School Committee voted on Monday to join other school districts across the country who say they should get money from Purdue during its bankruptcy proceedings because of the toll of addiction on public schools.

The Manchester School District’s Resolution, also approved last night, says this toll includes “expenditures of public funds to address the impact of this epidemic on students, teachers, other staff, and the taxpayers of this district,” such as skyrocketing special education costs for children whose parents have opioid use disorder and higher insurance costs for staff.

Board members acknowledged the district was unlikely to receive significant dollars from a settlement, given the number of individuals, municipalities, school districts, and law firms across the country involved in Purdue’s bankruptcy proceedings.

The district will be represented by five law firms, including Drummond Woodsum & MacMahon in Manchester.

Sarah Gibson worked in NHPR's newsroom from 2018 to 2024. She reported on education and demographics.
Related Content

You make NHPR possible.

NHPR is nonprofit and independent. We rely on readers like you to support the local, national, and international coverage on this website. Your support makes this news available to everyone.

Give today. A monthly donation of $5 makes a real difference.