Settlement reached in class action lawsuit against Hope College for 2022 data breach
HOLLAND — A class action lawsuit against Hope College for a 2022 data breach is being settled for $1.5 million.
The lawsuit, which was filed in December 2022, stems from a data breach that occurred on or around Sept. 27, 2022. An investigation found that information like first and last names, birth dates, Social Security numbers, driver’s license numbers and student ID numbers had been compromised.
Class Representatives for the case are Jennie Devries, Tricia Garnett, Mark Cyphers, Timothy Drost, Joseph Rogers, Emily Damaska and Elisa Carter. The settlement was reached earlier this year, with notice mailings being sent to class members in February.
Hope College emailed a statement about the situation to The Sentinel on Monday.
“Per the terms of the settlement, all details are being communicated by the plaintiffs and their legal counsel. No student tuition or room/board dollars were used to fund the settlement, nor were any operating funds of the college. Hope College is unable to provide additional information,” the statement reads.
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As part of the settlement, class members have three options for benefits — one year of credit monitoring and insurance services; cash payments of up to $5,000 per member for reimbursement of documented losses; or cash fund payments at an amount to be determined. Class members can choose one of the three options.
Settlement benefits will be issued after payout of attorney fees, administrative expenses and service awards for the class representatives.
The credit monitoring and insurance services include up to $1 million of identity theft insurance coverage and three-bureau credit monitoring meant to protect people from unauthorized use of their personal information. These services are “separate from and in addition to” credit monitoring services already offered by Hope College.
Class members can file a claim form for reimbursement of documented losses, which include funds spent remedying or addressing identity theft and fraud that was “more likely than not” related to the breach or funds spent to protect from future harm due to the breach. Claims for documented loss must have supporting documentation such as credit card or bank statements, phone records and receipts.
Finally, class members can opt to apply for a cash fund payment of a to-be-determined amount. These payments will be dispersed equally among those that opt for them after funds are allocated to credit monitoring and documented loss payments, if funds remain.
Class members must submit a valid claim form by May 7 to receive settlement benefits. To submit claims, visit hopecollegesettlement.com. Anyone with questions about the settlement or if they qualify as a class member should contact info@HopeCollegeSettlement.com.
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Hope has also agreed to take several remedial and enhanced security measures through the settlement.
Those measures include increasing internal and third-party IT staff; establishment of a data governance committee, aiming to retain sensitive data only when “legally required or operationally necessary;” enforcing mandatory multi-factor authentication; hiring an independent security contractor to evaluate network security and vulnerability; and increasing mandatory training for employees related to data security.
A final approval hearing for the settlement is scheduled for 9 a.m. Monday, May 20. It will be held before judge Paul Maloney in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Michigan in Kalamazoo.
— Contact reporter Mitchell Boatman at mboatman@hollandsentinel.com.
This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: Settlement reached in 2022 data breach lawsuit against Hope College
