Princeton University sued over data breach exposing alumni, donor information

Edited by: Top Class Actions | November 27, 2025

Category: Data Breach

Two people have filed class action lawsuits against Princeton University following a recent data breach that exposed the personal information of alumni, donors, faculty and students. — (Photo Credit: MMD Creative/Shutterstock)

Princeton class action lawsuit overview:

Who: Two individuals have filed class action lawsuits against Princeton University..
Why: The plaintiffs allege a database containing personal information was compromised by a data breach.
Where: The Princeton data breach class actions were filed in New Jersey federal court.

Two people have filed class action lawsuits against Princeton University following a recent data breach that exposed the personal information of alumni, donors, faculty and students.

Plaintiffs Henggao Cai and David Ramirez each filed a class action lawsuit against Princeton University on Nov. 18 in New Jersey federal court, alleging negligence, breach of implied contract and unjust enrichment, among other claims.

According to the lawsuits, a recent Princeton data breach exposed the personal information of alumni, donors, faculty and students, potentially affecting more than 100,000 individuals.

The breach, which occurred on Nov. 10, 2025, involved unauthorized access to the university’s “University Advancement” database, which stores personal details for fundraising and alumni engagement purposes, the lawsuits say.

Princeton data breach allegedly exposed alumni, donor information

According to the class action lawsuits, information potentially compromised in the Princeton data breach included names, contact information, birth dates, employment details and wealth status.

“The Advancement System contains select information about individuals’ wealth, family details, and a history of communications with the University,” the class action says.

Princeton University confirmed the breach in an email to affected individuals on Nov. 15, 2025, stating that the attackers accessed the database for less than 24 hours. However, the university admitted it does not yet know what specific information was viewed or extracted, the lawsuits say.

Cai and Ramirez allege that Princeton University failed to implement adequate security measures to protect the sensitive data, despite being aware of the increasing risk of cyberattacks on educational institutions.

The Princeton class action lawsuits claim the university’s negligence has left affected individuals at an increased risk of identity theft and fraud, forcing them to spend time and resources to mitigate potential harm.

The plaintiffs allege Princeton violated the Federal Trade Commission Act by failing to protect the personal information of its community members. They also claim the university breached its implied contract with students, faculty, and donors by not safeguarding their data.

The lawsuits seek to represent all individuals whose personal information was compromised in the Princeton data breach.

The University of Minnesota recently agreed to a $5 million open settlement to resolve claims it failed to prevent a 2021 data breach that compromised sensitive student and employee information.

What do you think of the allegations made in these Princeton University class action lawsuits? Let us know in the comments.

The plaintiffs are represented by Kevin Laukaitis of Laukaitis Law LLC, Joseph D. DePalma and Catherine B. Derenze of Lite DePalma Greenberg & Afanador, LLC, and Leanna A. Loginov of Shamis & Gentile, P.A.

The Princeton data breach class action lawsuits are Henggao Cai v. Princeton University, Case No. 3:25-cv-17684, and David Ramirez v. Princeton University, Case No. 3:25-cv-17654, both in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey.