U of M to start paying out class action lawsuit over 2023 data breach
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The University of Minnesota is required to start paying out a class action lawsuit this week to people impacted by a 2023 data breach, according to the terms of a settlement in U.S. district court.
Several plaintiffs settled a lawsuit against the university in August. The agreement requires the U to set up a $5 million fund to cover claims from people who were impacted.
Notifications to people eligible are set to start going out this week. Under the terms of the agreement, the settlement administrator needs to start contacting people by Thursday. People eligible could receive an email from Kroll Settlement Administration, the court-approved company managing the settlement process.
Ahead of that, the settlement administrator created a new web page where people can submit claims, a step also required under the settlement. A university spokesperson said the website could be undergoing construction until Wednesday and advised people to check back then.
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The spokesperson said people looking to file a claim can also call 833-890-4933 for more information on the process.
Each eligible person who files a claim will get an estimated $30 payout, according to the settlement documents. That amount will depend on the number of people who file a claim. The U will also cover the cost of dark web monitoring for two years, to watch for any personal information posted online as a result of the breach. The deadline for submitting a claim is Dec. 24, according to the settlement website.
The university also agreed to step up its data security system.
According to court documents, an estimated 4.2 million people could have been impacted by the data breach. The university said in 2023 that a hacker breached a school database containing personal information dating back to 1989. It included full names, addresses, birth dates, Social Security numbers, and driver’s license and passport information.
Several people sued the university over the incident. The court consolidated those lawsuits into one in the fall of 2023, leading to the settlement.
(Correction: Sept. 23, 2025): An earlier version of this story misstated who created the web page where people can submit claims. The above story has been updated.
