$300K Settlement with Seattle Public Schools, Federal Way Public Schools Resolves Lawsuit Over 2024 Carruth Data Breach

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Seattle Public Schools and Federal Way Public Schools have agreed to a $300,000 class action settlement to end a lawsuit that alleged the districts failed to protect current and former employees’ private information from a December 2024 data breach experienced by third-party retirement plan vendor Carruth Compliance Consulting.

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The Seattle Public Schools class action settlement received preliminary approval from the court on August 4, 2026. Eligible for the settlement are all individuals whose personal information was provided by Seattle Public Schools or Federal Way Public Schools to Carruth Compliance Consulting and was compromised in the data breach disclosed by Carruth in January 2025.

Court documents state that approximately 38,374 people are included in the settlement class.

The court-approved Seattle Public Schools data breach settlement website can be found at CarruthSettlement.com.

Seattle Public Schools settlement class members who file a timely, valid claim form can receive up to $5,000 for documented out-of-pocket losses incurred because of the data breach. This benefit covers data breach-related losses from fraud or identity theft and costs for credit reports, credit monitoring, professional fees, bank fees, postage, and more.

Class members must submit proof, such as receipts, to receive a documented-loss payment.

In addition, class members can file a claim form to receive a pro rata (equal share) cash payment of up to $599, with no proof required.

The final amount of each class member’s cash payout will be determined based on the total number of valid claims filed, among other factors.

Should the total amount of all settlement costs exceed the $300,000 settlement fund, all payments to class members may be reduced on a pro rata basis.

To submit a Seattle Public Schools settlement claim form online, class members can head to this page and enter the ID and confirmation code found on their copy of the settlement notice. Alternatively, class members can download a PDF claim form to print, complete and return by mail to the settlement administrator.

All data breach settlement claim forms must be submitted online or postmarked by December 2, 2026.

The court will determine whether to grant final approval to the Seattle Public Schools/Federal Way Public Schools settlement following a hearing on December 18, 2026. Settlement benefits will begin to be distributed to class members only after final approval has been granted and any appeals have been resolved.

The Seattle Public Schools-Federal Way Public Schools class action lawsuit alleged that the school districts failed to implement reasonable cybersecurity measures to protect current and former employees’ private information from a cyberattack on third-party retirement plan vendor Carruth Compliance Consulting that occurred between December 19 and December 26, 2024.

Did you know that some class action settlements require no proof to submit a claim? Check out the latest open class action settlements.