First Class Action Lawsuit Filed Against University of Michigan for Massive Privacy Breach Affecting Thousands of Female Athletes
CHICAGO, IL, March 27, 2025 (EZ Newswire) -- Stinar Gould Grieco & Hensley, PLLC has filed the first class action lawsuit against the University of Michigan, the Regents of the University of Michigan, Matthew Weiss, and Keffer Development Services, LLC, alleging a massive breach of privacy affecting over 3,300 individuals, primarily female student-athletes.
The lawsuit, filed in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan (Case No. 2:25-cv-10806), alleges that defendants allowed unauthorized access to sensitive personal information, private photographs, and videos of thousands of student-athletes.
According to the complaint, Matthew Weiss, a former University of Michigan employee, allegedly accessed—without authorization—the social media accounts, emails, cloud storage, and personal information of thousands of female student-athletes over approximately eight years (2015-2023). The complaint alleges that Weiss targeted female athletes and downloaded private photographs and videos that were never intended to be shared beyond the plaintiffs' intimate partners.
'This case represents one of the most significant breaches of student-athlete privacy in recent memory,' said Parker Stinar, lead attorney for the plaintiffs.
'Our clients placed their trust in the University of Michigan and its vendors, only to have their most personal and private information compromised due to what we allege was negligence and recklessness.'
The lawsuit alleges that the University of Michigan, its Regents, and Keffer Development Services failed to implement adequate security measures, proper supervision, or employee monitoring that would have protected the plaintiffs' privacy.
According to the complaint, Weiss allegedly:
Gained unauthorized access to student-athlete databases maintained by Keffer Development Services
Downloaded personally identifiable information (PII) and medical data of more than 150,000 athletes
Obtained passwords used by athletes to access computer systems
Used this access to download private photographs and videos
The lawsuit includes claims for violations of the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, the Stored Communications Act, Title IX, and various state laws involving invasion of privacy, negligence, and conversion.
The plaintiffs are seeking damages exceeding $100 million, along with costs, interest, and attorney fees. The class action complaint seeks to represent all persons whose personal information, images, data, social media, or videos were accessed by Weiss without authorization.
'This lawsuit is not only about seeking justice for those whose information was stolen but also about forcing the University of Michigan to confront its systemic failures and ensure such breaches never happen again. The case will hold the institution accountable for its lack of appropriate safeguards and transparency regarding the security of its student-athletes' personal and medical data.
In the face of such violations, SGGH is committed to turning over every stone in our pursuit of justice. Through litigation, we will uncover the flaws in Michigan's cyber security protocols that led to this massive breach, and demand real change to protect vulnerable individuals from similar harms in the future.
We will fight relentlessly to secure justice for all those affected.' said Parker Stinar, lead attorney for the plaintiffs.
This case highlights the growing concern around data privacy and the security of personal information in the digital age, particularly in university settings where students entrust institutions with their personal data.
About Stinar Gould Grieco & Hensley, PLLC
Stinar Gould Grieco & Hensley, PLLC is a law firm dedicated to protecting the rights of individuals in complex litigation matters. The firm has extensive experience in class action lawsuits, privacy law, and representing victims of institutional failures. Managing Partner, Parker Stinar, previously led the University of Michigan/Robert Anderson sexual abuse matter which resolved for $490 million dollars for more than 1,000 individuals. For more information, visit https://www.sgghlaw.com.
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Fox News
07-08-2025
- Fox News
DOJ assistant AG responds to new allegations in SJSU transgender volleyball controversy
EXCLUSIVE: U.S. Department of Justice Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon has spoken out in response to recent developments related to San Jose State University's transgender volleyball player from last fall. Dhillon responded to Fox News Digital's July 31 report with new allegations by former SJSU volleyball player Brooke Slusser related to a misconduct investigation into her former trans teammate, Blaire Fleming. Fleming was accused of conspiring with an opposing player to have Slusser spiked in the face during a match in October. "The Department of Justice has restored fairness to women's sports and will continue to go after bad actors who endanger young women with woke gender ideology. We will leverage every legal resource available to enforce Title IX and protect women's basic right to compete in sports without fear of retribution from men," Dhillon said in an exclusive statement to Fox News Digital. In November, a Mountain West Conference investigation into the initial allegations against Fleming concluded without finding "sufficient evidence" just three days after the first emails to witnesses to set up interviews were sent, according to public records obtained by Fox News Digital. The investigation was carried out by the law firm Willkie Farr & Gallagher (WFG). WFG was also hired by the Mountain West to defend the conference against a lawsuit by Slusser, which included the very same allegations against Fleming that the law firm cleared. Public records obtained by Fox News Digital show WFG attorney Tim Heaphy led the investigation into Fleming's alleged misconduct. Heaphy previously served as the chief investigative counsel to the U.S. House of Representatives select committee to investigate the January 6 capitol protests. Slusser told Fox News Digital she had a conversation with a teammate who was interviewed as part of the conference's investigation into Fleming's alleged plan. "Based on what I was told, exactly what one of my teammates had seen go on that night — about talking about the scouting report and leaving the net open — was told to those lawyers. So, that should have been sufficient evidence [of the alleged plan by Fleming]," Slusser said. "People are telling you this happened, and it's not second-hand information. She sat there and heard the conversation between Blaire and [former Colorado State volleyball player] Malaya [Jones]. So, to me, just from what I know without even having to dig deep into this investigation, there is sufficient evidence, and they were told sufficient evidence." Fox News Digital cannot independently verify that Slusser's teammate corroborated the allegations against Fleming when speaking to investigators. None of WFG's attorneys have been accused of violating any applicable rules of professional conduct. Now, Dhillon joins other GOP officials speaking out in response to the recent report. Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn, shared the report with the caption, "This is disgraceful, and this young woman should have never been forced to compete with a man in the first place." Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., shared the report on X and called for the NCAA and the Mountain West to conduct a new investigation. "It's a DISGRACE that we have universities who actively put female athletes in harm's way. NCAA and Mountain West need to hold a FULL INVESTIGATION IMMEDIATELY. Appreciate Brooke Slusser speaking out and fighting for female athletes. Keep it up!" Tuberville wrote. A White House spokesperson provided a statement to Fox News Digital last week addressing the report as well. "Women deserve to play sports without fear of being violated and harassed by biological men. President Trump is returning integrity to women's sports by ending the deranged left's policies that demean and endanger women," White House spokesperson Taylor Rogers said. In a lawsuit signed by 10 other current or former women's college volleyball players against the Mountain West and representatives of SJSU, Slusser alleged Fleming and other teammates sneaked out of a team hotel the night before an Oct. 3 match against Colorado State and met with an opposing player. The lawsuit alleged a teammate who sneaked out with Fleming later told players and coaches of an alleged plan by Fleming, in a conspiracy with the Colorado State player, to have Slusser spiked in the face during a match. The lawsuit and complaint alleged the players who sneaked out told other players and coaches they saw Fleming also hand over an SJSU scouting report with an agreement to throw the match in Colorado State's favor. Slusser said after she joined Riley Gaines' lawsuit against the NCAA in September, her interactions with trans athletes quickly turned hostile, citing her experience with Fleming. "After I joined the lawsuit, Blaire did not like me whatsoever. There was a time where Blaire said, 'I never want to speak to you again.' And I said, 'OK, that's fine,'" Slusser said. "I just knew there was hatred toward me from Blaire." Fox News Digital interviewed San Jose State athletic director Jeff Konya to inquire about Slusser's claims and other details of the investigation. However, Konya stood up after about five minutes of related questions and walked away, saying, "I'm done." Fox News Digital played a video clip of Slusser reciting these allegations to Konya at Mountain West media days July 15. "I have no idea if she's telling the truth or not," Konya said of Slusser's claims. Konya would not confirm or deny whether any of the witnesses interviewed corroborated the allegations against Fleming. When asked if he was satisfied with how the university handled the controversy involving Fleming in 2024, Konya said, "I think everybody acted in the best possible way they could, given the circumstances." The U.S. Department of Education opened a federal Title IX investigation into the situation involving Fleming and the university's handling of the trans athlete. The DOE recently reached agreements with other universities that allowed males to play on women's teams. On July 1, the DOE announced it had reached an agreement with the University of Pennsylvania to apologize to all female athletes that competed with transgender swimmer Lia Thomas in the 2021-22 season and to rescind all of Thomas' school records. Then, on Friday, the department announced a similar agreement with Wagner College in response to the school allowing transgender fencer Redmon Sullivan to compete on the women's fencing team. 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"Due to ongoing litigation and federal investigation, we are unable to respond to your inquiry," a university spokesperson told Fox News Digital. Fox News Digital has attempted to reach Fleming through social media for comment in response to Slusser's allegations.
USA Today
07-08-2025
- USA Today
Woman gets settlement in case alleging Louisiana colleges ignored rape reports
A woman who sued the University of Louisiana System for failing to protect her from a student she and others accused of rape agreed to settle the lawsuit Aug. 1, days before a trial was set to begin. The woman, who filed the federal lawsuit in the Middle District of Louisiana in May 2022 under the pseudonym Jane Doe, is one of eight women who said that they were sexually assaulted by Victor Daniel Silva. The woman's settlement comes more than four years after a USA TODAY investigation revealed systemic failures by university and law enforcement officials to connect the dots on Silva, who from 2014 to 2020 transferred from Louisiana State University to the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, then to Louisiana Tech University, then back to UL Lafayette – racking up sexual misconduct allegations at every stop. A Louisiana law enacted in 2015 was supposed to help the state's public universities root out sexual offenders on their campuses. Called Act 172, it required colleges and law enforcement agencies to communicate with each other about reports of sex crimes involving students. It also ordered colleges to notify other colleges when students disciplined or under investigation for sexual misconduct tried to transfer. But campus officials repeatedly failed to follow the law. Because they did not communicate with police and each other, they viewed nearly every allegation against Silva as an isolated incident in an otherwise clean record. They closed each complaint against him, sometimes without investigating, allowing him to continue his education without interruption. 'Were it not for the rigorous and deeply compassionate work of investigative journalists and the ineffable bravery of the other victims, my story may have ended the night I was raped, kept in the dark by challenges that make it almost unimaginable to come forward for fear of unbelief and inaction,' the woman, who attended Louisiana Tech, said in an emailed statement to USA TODAY. 'Instead, because of their unrelenting commitment to truth and their courageous vulnerability, I have been fortunate to see my case through to settlement. I hope that our voices ensure that future victims might not have to rely on fortune in order to be heard.' It is USA TODAY's policy not to publish the names of people who allege sexual assault without their permission. 'The University of Louisiana System will continue to prioritize Title IX inquiries and respond with the seriousness they demand,' university system spokesperson Katie Dawson said in an emailed statement. 'Our focus remains on establishing and maintaining safe, supportive campus environments across our institutions within the UL System. 'Our institutions are staffed by professionals who are expected to uphold university policies and contribute to safe and respectful campus environments. While we do not comment on individual personnel matters, we remain committed to supporting our universities as they implement established processes to address concerns and promote accountability.' Silva, who has not responded to requests for comment from USA TODAY, has never been convicted of a sex crime. He was arrested for forcible rape in 2015 but prosecutors did not move forward with the case. He has told police that the allegations against him are false. UL Lafayette and Louisiana Tech are both part of the UL System. The woman also sued LSU and the Lafayette Police Department for negligence. Federal judge Brian Jackson dismissed those claims, leaving two Title IX claims against the UL System. Title IX is the federal law banning sex discrimination in education. A different federal judge in March dismissed another lawsuit filed against the same agencies by three other women, who also alleged Silva sexually assaulted them. Although the woman could have pursued her negligence claim against LSU in state court, the settlement now precludes her from doing so. Court records do not reveal the dollar amount the UL System agreed to pay her, and her attorneys declined to provide it. However, an affidavit her attorney filed shows the woman reduced her demand to less than one-third of her prior ask the day before the settlement was reached. 'We are pleased this case was resolved to our client's satisfaction,' said Monica Beck and Jeff Green, the attorneys representing Doe, in an emailed statement. 'We are honored to have represented Ms. Doe and are committed to fighting for survivors in what often seems like a very steep uphill battle.' Missed opportunities Over his six years in college, at least six women at three universities had reported Silva for alleged sexual offenses to four police agencies across three parishes. He had been banned from LSU's campus, arrested but not prosecuted, and placed on probation by UL Lafayette. But Silva never missed a semester of classes. In depositions taken as part of the lawsuit, numerous campus officials admitted that they had never even heard of the law intended to prevent that exact situation, court records citing their deposition testimony show. UL Lafayette student conduct director Carl Tapo testified that he did not know that the university and its campus police department had entered into a memorandum of understanding – required under Act 172 – with the Lafayette Police Department to share information about student sex crimes. He said he never communicated with any police officials about any alleged sex crimes involving students. Tapo also said he had been unaware of a statewide Louisiana Board of Regents policy – adopted in response to the same state law – that required universities to inform each other if a student attempts to transfer to another university in the state after being disciplined for a sexual offense. Multiple officials at Louisiana Tech University, including assistant vice president Dickie Crawford and student conduct director Adam Collins, also said they had never heard of Act 172, court records citing their deposition testimony show. Title IX coordinator Carrie Flournoy said she could not recall any steps she had taken to ensure the university complied with its requirements. Those officials each missed multiple opportunities to stop Silva before he allegedly raped Doe in September 2018. Tapo received two concerning emails about Silva – then a UL Lafayette student – in April 2015, court records show. The emails said that Silva had been arrested on an active fugitive warrant, charged with forcibly raping a student on LSU's campus. Tapo did not recall asking the campus police department for a copy of the police report, according to court records citing his deposition testimony. Nor did he ask the LSU administrator for any additional information about Silva. When Tapo met with Silva nearly three months later, he did not ask Silva any questions about the alleged rape, nor about his disciplinary or criminal troubles at LSU, the records show. Instead, Tapo placed Silva on disciplinary probation for two years and ordered him to attend one behavior management session with the school counseling office. From 2016 to 2018, Lafayette Police Department and UL Lafayette police received seven reports about Silva. Among them, he was accused of blackmailing a woman with a sex tape he recorded without her knowledge, sexually assaulting a student he met through a UL Lafayette tutoring program, and sexually assaulting two girls when he was 14 years old. Some of those offenses, if investigated and substantiated by the university, could have gotten Silva suspended or expelled. Yet UL Lafayette took no additional disciplinary action against Silva. Tapo testified that he did not recall asking any campus or police officials to keep an eye out for Silva or inform him of any reports involving Silva. Nor did he recall asking anyone at the university to notify him if Silva attempted to transfer to another college, according to court records citing his deposition. Jane Doe and Louisiana Tech Silva transferred to Louisiana Tech in 2018. Within his first two weeks of classes at Louisiana Tech, court records show Silva met a female student later known as Jane Doe through a dating app. After studying together twice, Silva invited her to his apartment, where they drank heavily with his friends and roommates. Text messages show Doe texted Silva, "I'm incredibly drunk," before passing out clothed on his bed. The woman said she woke up multiple times throughout the night to Silva groping and sexually assaulting her, despite her repeatedly telling him "no." She reported the incident to Flournoy that December after seeing a tweet by a UL Lafayette student that identified Silva as an accused serial rapist. Without requesting legal advice, Flournoy concluded that Title IX did not apply because the alleged assault occurred off campus and did not involve a student group – despite federal guidance saying otherwise. The next day, then-Louisiana Tech President Les Guice received an email from a student voicing concerns about Silva. The email, citing the tweet Doe had seen, mentioned alleged rapes involving Silva at LSU, UL Lafayette and a third university. Guice responded, "I assure you that our folks are on top of this." Guice forwarded the email to Flournoy. Yet neither Guice nor Flournoy followed up with any of the three universities to try to corroborate the information. No one at Louisiana Tech investigated Doe's complaint or the allegations that Silva had sexually assaulted other people. Nor did they inform UL Lafayette – or Doe – when Silva transferred back there the following month. During her deposition, Flournoy said that the allegations that Silva had sexually assaulted numerous women made her "worried" for students' safety. "What, if anything, did you do to assuage your – or to, you know, satisfy your worry?" an attorney for Doe asked Flournoy. "Just hope and pray that he did not," Flournoy said. "I did not do anything specific." Kenny Jacoby is an investigative reporter for USA TODAY. Follow him on X @kennyjacoby and on Bluesky @ Email him at kjacoby@
Indianapolis Star
05-08-2025
- Indianapolis Star
'They were her whole world.' Crash leaves 4-year-old without grandmother
Rabbi Benjamin Sendrow admired how much joy and love could be seen on Susan Rose Schwab's face whenever she talked about her daughter and granddaughter, even after all the tragedy her family had experienced. Schwab had become the adoptive mother to her grandchild, Amoni, after her daughter was killed in a shooting in Castleton almost five years ago. 'They were her whole world,' Sendrow said. 'And after Meghan's death, she doted and adored her granddaughter.' Amoni's father, Michael Beasley Jr., has been in and out of jail since Meghan Schwab's death, Indianapolis police records show, and Susan Schwab became Amoni's primary caregiver. The grandmother took pride in raising Amoni, so much so that she would send photos of her granddaughter to people in the congregation every time the girl achieved a new skill. The last photo she sent was of Amoni learning how to write her name. The next day, on July 26, Schwab died in a single-vehicle crash at the intersection of Meridian and 91st streets after her 2012 Toyota Camry hit a tree. Amoni was in the car at the time and, fortunately, survived the crash's impact. Bystanders worked together to pull Amoni out of the vehicle. They provided aid until emergency medical personnel arrived and transported her to Riley Hospital for Children in critical condition. For days, Amoni was 'fighting for her life,' Sendrow said. But on Aug. 4, Sendrow and his wife were informed that Amoni's condition had stabilized and she had started her 'long road of recovery.' As people began to make their way inside the Ohev Zedeck Cemetery in south Indianapolis on July 31, a wave of somberness could be felt as they noticed the two Schwab graves. The death of Susan Schwab came as a shock to many at her funeral. Although she was in her 70s, people seem to forget that detail due to how active she was every week, juggling her duties to the congregation while trying to raise a 4-year-old. 'She was a person who always put others before herself,' Sendrow said at her funeral. Schwab spent much of her life focusing on and guiding the next generation of Hoosiers. A native Hoosier, she graduated from Broad Ripple High School and the University of Michigan. When she moved back to Indiana, she dedicated herself to serving the community. She spent her career as a teacher, ensuring kids knew how to read before they left her class in elementary school. She served as the president of the Lawrence Education Association for several years, with the hope of supporting teachers and improving the school district. In her late 40s, Schwab adopted Meghan, an infant from Russia. Schwab adored her daughter, Sendrow said. 'She would always talk so highly of her daughter,' Sendrow said. 'Her daughter was so smart, she knew Hebrew and Russian.' In 2020, Schwab shared with IndyStar that her daughter was planning to study radiology; however, there was a moment when she considered being a veterinarian. It was a future she wished she could have experienced with her daughter. Schwab was the only mother that Amoni ever knew. She was the woman Amoni called out for when she was trapped in the car, and in the few moments of consciousness she experienced at the hospital. Perhaps that's what made Schwab's death hit harder for the dozens of people who gathered at her grave. When Rabbi Sendrow asked God to help guide Schwab to him and watch over Amoni, rain began to fall. It was a moment noticed by all in attendance, with several beginning to weep as the soil above her grave turned wet and muddy. On Aug. 4, Sendrow shared with IndyStar that he and his wife, Arlene, were in the process of becoming Amoni's legal guardians and working on a way to set up a trust fund that she can use for her education. 'We want to do what's best for Amoni,' Arlene Sendrow said. 'She's gone through a lot in such a short time.'
