Pierce County Library System Settlement Ends Data Breach Class Action Lawsuit

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Pierce County Library System (PCLS) has agreed to a settlement worth up to $385,000 to resolve a class action lawsuit that alleged the Washington-based library failed to protect private information in its care from a data breach disclosed in July 2025.

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The Pierce County Library System class action settlement received preliminary court approval on May 29, 2026. The agreement covers all current and former employees, their family members, and current and former contractors who received notice from PCLS that their personal information may have been impacted in the data breach.

Per court documents, approximately 3,275 people are included in the settlement class. 

The court-approved website for the Pierce County Library System class action settlement can be found at PierceCountyLibraryDataSettlement.com.

Settlement class members who submit a timely, valid claim form can receive up to $250 for “ordinary” out-of-pocket losses caused by the data breach. This benefit covers costs for credit reports, credit monitoring, identity theft insurance products bought after April 15, 2025, bank fees, long-distance phone charges, postage, travel, and more.

Class members can also file a claim form to receive up to $4,000 for documented “extraordinary” out-of-pocket losses incurred due to the data breach. This benefit covers losses from identity theft or fraud that are not already covered by another settlement benefit.

Class members must submit proof, such as receipts or bank statements, to receive documented-loss payments.

Further, class members can submit a claim form to receive reimbursement for up to four hours of lost time spent responding to the data breach, at a rate of $20 per hour.  

In lieu of any of the foregoing benefits, class members can submit a claim form to receive a $70 cash payment, with no proof required.

Should the total amount of all approved claims exceed the $385,000 aggregate benefits cap, cash payouts will be reduced on a pro rata basis.

Lastly, all class members can elect on their claim form to receive three years of one-bureau credit monitoring and identity restoration services, which include identity theft insurance. Enrollment codes and activation instructions will be sent to class members once the settlement receives final approval.

To submit a Pierce County Library System settlement claim form online, class members can head to this page and enter the login ID and PIN 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 Pierce County Library System claim forms must be submitted online or postmarked no later than September 28, 2026.

The court will determine whether to grant final approval to the Pierce County Library System settlement following a hearing on October 9, 2026. Compensation will begin to be distributed to class members only after final approval has been granted and any appeals have been resolved.

The Pierce County Library System class action lawsuit alleged that the library system serving residents of Pierce County, Washington, failed to implement reasonable cybersecurity measures to safeguard private information from a data breach disclosed by the library in July 2025.

Learn all about the legal process: What is a class action lawsuit?