San Diego Unified School District Data Breach Settlement

California residents who received a mailed notification from San Diego Unified School District that a data breach discovered around Oct. 25, 2022, may have compromised their personal information could be eligible to claim up to $2,500 plus credit monitoring from a class action settlement.

San Diego Unified School District agreed to resolve a class action lawsuit alleging a ransomware incident exposed the personal and health information of certain students and employees.

Who can file a claim?

Class members are eligible to participate in this settlement if all of the following apply:

• They are a California resident.
• They received a mailed notification from SDUSD stating a data breach discovered on or about Oct. 25, 2022, may have compromised their personal information.

The class includes both employees and students who received the notification. Parents or guardians can file claims on behalf of minor dependents who were younger than 18 years old as of May 5, 2025.

How much can class members receive?

• Ordinary out-of-pocket losses and lost time: Up to $500 per person for documented out-of-pocket losses and lost time related to the data incident. This includes unreimbursed costs such as:
• Credit reports
• Credit freeze fees
• Card replacement fees
• Late or over-limit fees
• Interest on payday loans
• Bank or credit card fees
• Postage, mileage and other incidental expenses
• Costs associated with credit monitoring or identity theft protection purchased primarily as a result of the data incident
• Compensation for lost time spent monitoring accounts, reversing fraudulent charges or otherwise responding to the incident at $20 per hour for up to four hours (minimum one hour required)

• Extraordinary expenses: Up to $2,000 per person for documented, unreimbursed monetary losses not covered by the $500 ordinary loss reimbursement. To qualify, the loss must:
• Be an actual, documented and unreimbursed monetary loss
• Be more likely than not caused by the data incident
• Have occurred between Oct. 25, 2022, and Jan. 13, 2026
• Have been subject to reasonable efforts to avoid or recover the loss, including using available credit monitoring or identity theft insurance

• Credit monitoring and identity theft protection: All class members can enroll in one year of free credit monitoring and identity theft protection from CyEx, which includes one-bureau credit monitoring and alerts. This benefit is available even if class members do not claim monetary compensation.
• Minors’ alternative cash payment: If the class member was younger than age 18 as of May 5, 2025, a parent or guardian may elect to receive a $40 cash payment instead of other benefits provided they do not file any other claim for that dependent.

How to claim a data breach payout

Class members can file the online claim form or mail a completed PDF claim form to the settlement administrator. The claim deadline is Jan. 13, 2026.

Settlement administrator's mailing address: G.W., et al. v. San Diego Unified School District, c/o Settlement Administrator, PO Box 25191 Santa Ana, CA 92799

What proof or documentation is necessary to submit a claim?

• Ordinary losses: Receipts, statements or other proof of expense
• Extraordinary expenses: Documentation of the loss, proof it was not reimbursed and evidence the class member made reasonable efforts to recover the loss
• Lost time: Attestation and description of activities performed
• Minors’ $40 payment: Parent or guardian attestation and confirmation they did not file another claim for the dependent
• Credit monitoring: None

Payout options

• PayPal (online claims only)
• Venmo (online claims only)
• eMastercard (online claims only)
• ACH transfer (online claims only)
• Zelle (online claims only)
• Paper check

Settlement fund breakdown

The settlement fund will cover:

• Settlement administration costs: To be determined
• Attorneys' fees, costs and expenses: Up to $320,000
• Service awards to class representatives: $10,000 total
• Credit monitoring costs: To be determined
• Payments to eligible class members: Remainder of the fund

Important dates

• Opt-out deadline: Dec. 15, 2025
• Claim deadline: Jan. 13, 2026
• Final approval hearing: Feb. 6, 2026

When is the SDUSD data settlement payout date?

The settlement administrator will distribute payments after the court resolves any appeals and grants final approval of the settlement.

Why did this class action settlement happen?

The class action lawsuit alleged San Diego Unified School District experienced a ransomware attack that allowed unauthorized access to its computer systems, potentially exposing personal and health information of students and employees. The plaintiffs claimed SDUSD failed to adequately protect this information.

SDUSD denies any wrongdoing or liability but agreed to settle to avoid the uncertainty, risk and expense of further litigation.

Sources

1. Class notice
2. Claim form
3. Settlement agreement
4. Settlement FAQ