Lansing Community College reaches $1.45M settlement over data breach affecting 750,000 individuals

Lansing Community College (LCC), a public community college located in Michigan, has agreed to a $1.45 million settlement in response to a class action lawsuit alleging the school failed to protect the personal information of employees, vendors, and current, former, and prospective students.

The lawsuit stems from a cybersecurity breach that occurred between December 25, 2022, and March 15, 2023, exposing the sensitive data of more than 750,000 individuals, including Social Security numbers.

The settlement, which awaits final approval from the U.S. Western District Court in January, could provide eligible claimants with cash payments. Each person may be entitled to up to $2,000 in reimbursements for losses directly tied to the data breach, though the final amount will depend on how many individuals submit claims.

This is the second major data breach settlement in Michigan in 2023. In May, Hope College, a private university in West Michigan, settled for $1.5 million after a similar breach affected approximately 157,000 individuals.

LCC discovered that an unauthorized actor had accessed its internal network for nearly three months, prompting the college to temporarily shut down its operations. While the college denies any wrongdoing, it agreed to the settlement to avoid further litigation. A spokesperson for LCC declined to comment on the pending legal matter.

Those affected by the breach have been notified by mail, and eligible individuals have until December 30, 2023, to file claims. Anyone wishing to exclude themselves or object to the settlement must do so by November 29. Claims can be submitted through the official settlement website at www.lansingsettlement.com.