Class action claims Monroe University data breach exposed over 320,000 students’ personal info

Monroe University class action lawsuit overview:

• Who: Plaintiff Rosemary Maysonet filed a class action lawsuit against Monroe University Ltd.
• Why: Maysonet claims Monroe University failed to adequately protect students’ personal and health information, leading to a large-scale data breach.
• Where: The class action lawsuit was filed in New York federal court.

A new class action lawsuit stemming from a recent data breach accuses Monroe University of failing to safeguard sensitive personal and health information belonging to hundreds of thousands of students and applicants.

Plaintiff Rosemary Maysonet alleges that cybercriminals gained unauthorized access to Monroe University’s computer systems between Dec. 9 and Dec. 23, 2024, and acquired copies of files containing highly sensitive data. 

According to the complaint, the compromised information included names, dates of birth, Social Security numbers, driver’s license and passport numbers, financial account details, student records and protected health information.

Maysonet claims Monroe University violated federal and state law by failing to implement reasonable data security measures despite collecting and storing large volumes of sensitive information as part of its admissions, enrollment and student services operations. 

The class action lawsuit alleges the university knew or should have known it was a target for cyberattacks but failed to properly secure its systems or monitor for intrusions.

Monroe University failed to timely notify affected students, class action argues

According to the complaint, Monroe University did not notify affected individuals of the breach until January 2, 2026, months after the intrusion occurred and after the university allegedly determined that files containing personal information had been accessed. 

The lawsuit claims this delay prevented students and applicants from taking timely steps to protect themselves from identity theft and fraud.

Maysonet says the breach impacted at least 320,973 individuals nationwide, placing them at heightened and ongoing risk of identity theft, financial fraud and misuse of their medical information. The class action lawsuit alleges the stolen data remains in the hands of cybercriminals and may be traded or exploited for years.

The plaintiff says she received notice that her Social Security number, student identification number and financial aid information may have been compromised in the breach. She claims she has spent significant time and effort monitoring her financial accounts, freezing her credit and responding to fraudulent activity following the incident.

The complaint seeks to represent a nationwide class of individuals whose information was compromised in the breach. Maysonet alleges Monroe University is liable for negligence, breach of implied contract and unjust enrichment.

She is seeking compensatory damages, reimbursement for out-of-pocket expenses, injunctive relief requiring improvements to Monroe University’s data security practices, long-term credit monitoring services, attorneys’ fees and a jury trial.

The University of Phoenix is facing similar class action allegations after a data breach in August 2025 that affected more than 3.5 million students.

Were you affected by this Monroe University data breach? Let us know in the comments.

Maysonet is represented by Alyssa Tolentino and Tyler J. Bean of Siri & Glimstad LLP and Leigh S. Montgomery of Ellzey Kherkher Sanford Montgomery LLP.

The Monroe University data breach class action lawsuit is Maysonet v. Monroe University Ltd., Case No. 1:26-cv-00344, in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.

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