TX · AG Filing: Jan 14, 2026
No cost. No obligation. If your data was exposed by Monroe University, you may be entitled to financial compensation.
Start Free Review →Based on the data types reported in this filing:
Your SSN is the master key to your identity. Once exposed, criminals can open new lines of credit, take out loans, or file taxes in your name.
Combined with a name and other leaked data, date of birth helps criminals pass identity verification questions at banks and government agencies.
Monroe University was the subject of a data breach notification filed with the TX Attorney General. The AG filing was recorded on January 14, 2026. The breach or discovery date reported in the filing is December 9, 2024.
From the AG filing description
Monroe University operates as a prominent institution of higher education, delivering comprehensive undergraduate and graduate academic programs, student housing, financial aid administration, and continuous campus operations. Because academic institutions function as hubs of dense community activity and repository archives, Monroe University collects and retains vast troves of exceptionally sensitive personal information. This data ecosystem encompasses detailed admissions files, academic transcripts, disciplinary records, financial aid applications containing parental financial disclosures, payroll and tax documentation for campus employees, and extensive research data. The university is entrusted with protecting this private information for thousands of students, faculty members, staff, alumni, and prospective applicants who rely on the institution to maintain rigorous digital security. In 2026, Monroe University officially reported a cybersecurity incident to the Texas Attorney General, indicating that unauthorized actors may have infiltrated its digital network and data storage environments. In the higher education sector, major data security incidents typically involve sophisticated ransomware deployments, credential stuffing attacks targeting administrative portals, or vulnerabilities within third-party vendor platforms used for learning management and financial processing. Educational institutions are prime targets for cybercriminals due to their decentralized networks, open-access environments for research, and the immense volume of high-value personally identifiable information stored across legacy and modern database infrastructures alike. Investigations and notifications surrounding incidents of this nature frequently reveal the exposure of highly confidential records, including full names, dates of birth, Social Security numbers, banking details associated with tuition and payroll, and educational records. The compromise of this specific data inflicts immediate and severe risks upon affected individuals. Social Security numbers and dates of birth serve as the foundational keys for identity thieves, enabling fraudulent credit card openings, unauthorized loans, and tax return fraud. Furthermore, the exposure of student and faculty financial information creates direct pathways for financial account takeover, while compromised educational records can be leveraged in targeted social engineering and phishing campaigns against vulnerable students and their families. As an educational institution handling sensitive student and employee data, Monroe University is bound by stringent legal and regulatory obligations to secure its digital infrastructure. While educational institutions operate under the framework of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) regarding student records, they are simultaneously governed by state data breach notification statutes and common law negligence principles that mandate reasonable data security practices. The occurrence of a data breach of this magnitude strongly suggests a potential failure to implement robust administrative, physical, and technical safeguards—such as multi-factor authentication, network segmentation, and regular vulnerability patching—required to prevent unauthorized third-party access. Receiving a formal data breach notification letter from Monroe University serves as legal confirmation that your private records were compromised due to the institution's security failures. Under Texas law, this notification establishes the legal standing necessary to participate in a class action lawsuit aimed at securing accountability and compensation. Affected individuals are not required to demonstrate out-of-pocket financial loss to join such an action, as the increased risk of future identity theft and the loss of privacy constitute actionable harm. Our firm evaluates and litigates these data breach cases on a strict contingency fee basis, meaning you pay absolutely nothing out of pocket and owe no legal fees unless we successfully recover compensation on your behalf.
You may have been affected by the Monroe University data breach if:
Common categories of compensation in data breach class actions
The hours spent responding to a data breach — canceling accounts, contacting credit bureaus, updating passwords, and investigating fraud — represent compensable economic harm in data breach litigation.
Once your SSN is exposed, protection becomes an ongoing expense. Plaintiffs in data breach settlements have recovered costs for credit freezes, identity protection subscriptions, and time spent dealing with fraudulent accounts — sometimes covering multiple years of exposure.
Fees charged to close and reopen accounts, issue replacement cards, or dispute fraudulent transactions are recoverable in data breach litigation. So are the costs of overdrafts, late payments, and credit damage caused by unauthorized activity.
Several state data breach laws provide for statutory minimum damages — fixed amounts recoverable per affected individual regardless of actual loss. These provisions exist specifically to make legal action viable for victims who have not yet experienced direct harm.
Note: an attorney general breach filing does not by itself establish a settlement fund, a payment amount, or a claim deadline. If an official settlement notice is later issued, rely on that notice for payment details and deadlines.
Applicable State Law
This breach was reported under the Texas Identity Theft Enforcement and Protection Act, which mandates notification and establishes your right to seek damages.
No. Under Texas Identity Theft Enforcement and Protection Act and federal law, the unauthorized exposure of your personal data — regardless of whether it has been actively misused — can be sufficient grounds for a claim. The breach itself is the injury.
Nothing. The Law Office of David S. Harris handles data breach cases on contingency — you pay zero upfront and owe nothing unless compensation is recovered.
Immediately place a free credit freeze at all three bureaus (Equifax, Experian, TransUnion). A freeze blocks new accounts from being opened in your name. Then file a complaint with the FTC at IdentityTheft.gov and contact our office — SSN exposure is one of the most serious breach types.
Banks may reverse fraudulent charges, but they are not obligated to compensate you for time lost, stress, or indirect damages. A class action claim against the breached company can recover those additional categories of harm.
State statutes of limitations for data breach claims typically run 2–4 years from the date of the breach or its discovery. Because this breach was recently disclosed, the window is open — but acting early preserves your options and strengthens the case.
Accepting free credit monitoring from Monroe University does not waive your right to pursue legal action unless you signed a specific release waiving claims. In most cases, victims who accepted monitoring can still file.
Not necessarily. Many data breach victims are never notified directly. If your personal information was held by Monroe University during the relevant period, you may still qualify even without receiving a letter. A free eligibility review can confirm your status.
Learn how to participate in the class action and what compensation you may be entitled to.
Join the Class Action →Use our verification tool to confirm your letter matches this official AG filing.
Verify My Notice LetterThis case file references a public filing made with the state filing in TX. This website is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or operated by any state government agency.
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