Attorney General McCuskey Challenges Boys State Citizens to “Make a Friend Who Disagrees With You”

Jackson’s Mill, W.Va. — West Virginia Attorney General John “JB” McCuskey returned to American Legion Mountaineer Boys State this week, telling citizens that the most important lesson he could leave them with had nothing to do with the law and everything to do with how they treat people they disagree with.

It was the ninth Boys State session McCuskey has taken part in, a stretch that spans his time as State Auditor and his current role as the state’s chief legal officer. He used most of his hour to walk citizens through the work of the Attorney General’s Office, but he opened and closed on a theme he returned to again and again: that a healthy democracy depends on people who hold opposite views still being able to talk to one another.

McCuskey told citizens they did not have to share his politics, and made clear he didn’t expect them to. What worried him, he said, was a country in which Americans increasingly refuse to engage with anyone who thinks differently. No great national problem, he argued, has ever been solved by two people who already agree on everything. His challenge to the citizens was direct: before the week is over, find someone whose views are the opposite of yours, exchange contact information, and turn that person into a real friend — because everyone needs people in their life who are willing to tell them when they’re wrong.

He also warned citizens about mistaking life online for the real thing. Too many public servants, he said, make decisions based on likes and reposts rather than on the concerns of ordinary families, who care most about the cost of living, being left alone, and living somewhere they can be proud of.

Three Jobs, Four Cases

McCuskey described the Attorney General’s role as serving three clients at once: the government, the people of West Virginia, and the Constitution. To illustrate, he walked citizens through four matters his office is handling.

The Save Women’s Sports Act. McCuskey discussed his office’s defense of the state law before the U.S. Supreme Court in West Virginia v. B.P.J., argued earlier this year, with a decision expected this summer. He told citizens a ruling could come within days. He emphasized that the office has tried to argue the case respectfully — noting that the plaintiff is a teenager — while still defending the Legislature’s authority to set the rules. Whatever the Court decides, he said, West Virginia will follow it, because the country runs on a respect for law even when individuals disagree with the outcome.

Roblox. McCuskey recounted his office’s investigation into child-safety failures on the gaming platform Roblox, which ended in a settlement of roughly $11 million rather than years of litigation. He credited the company for taking the concerns seriously and agreeing to a sweeping safety overhaul — including age verification, restrictions on adult-to-child contact, and safer default settings — and said the framework has since been used as a model in other states.

Apple. As a contrast, McCuskey described a lawsuit his office filed against Apple over the handling of child sexual abuse material on its platforms. Where Roblox came to the table, he said, Apple chose to fight — setting up what he expects will be a long legal battle with one of the largest companies in the world.

The New York Climate Superfund Act. McCuskey explained that West Virginia is leading a multistate coalition challenging a New York law that could impose roughly $75 billion in liability on fossil-fuel producers, including West Virginia coal, oil, and gas companies, based on past emissions. He framed the fight as a constitutional one about federalism, not climate policy — arguing that no single state should be able to reach into the pockets of producers in other states or set energy policy for the entire country.

Questions From the Floor

Citizens pressed McCuskey on several issues. On the opioid epidemic, he said he is not satisfied with the state’s progress and argued that resources must shift toward dramatically reducing the number of people who become addicted in the first place, which he tied to rebuilding the state’s economy and restoring a sense of hope. Asked how he keeps party politics out of his legal decisions, he acknowledged being a Republican but said he relies on a fixed set of personal principles, makes decisions quickly, and is the first to admit when he’s gotten something wrong. He also explained how settlement money from the Roblox case will be directed toward online-safety education, dedicated law-enforcement resources, and support for children in the foster-care system.

A Closing Charge

McCuskey ended where he is most comfortable — making the case for public service and for West Virginia. He told citizens that he grew up with every advantage and was raised to believe those gifts came with an obligation to give back. The easy path, he said, is to leave for a bigger city somewhere else; the harder and more meaningful path is to build something where you are and create opportunity for the people around you.

Leadership, he reminded the room, is not a title. “Leaders don’t follow,” he told the citizens — and he challenged each of them to lead in their own lives, in their own communities, right here in West Virginia.