#United States #California #PowerSchool #Frantz Law Group #Memphis-Shelby

Frantz Law Group Takes Legal Action Against PowerSchool

In a recent development, the Frantz Law Group has filed a lawsuit on behalf of Memphis-Shelby County Schools against PowerSchool, a widely-used software provider for K-12 educational institutions. This legal action, lodged in federal court, accuses PowerSchool of serious negligence, breach of contract, and false advertising regarding its services designed to protect student data.

The lawsuit follows a major data breach that occurred in December 2024, during which hackers accessed the personal data of students and teachers nationwide. Memphis-Shelby County Schools serves an expansive population, comprising over 110,000 students across 222 educational institutions from pre-kindergarten to high school. PowerSchool, according to the lawsuit, is responsible for managing highly sensitive data for more than 60 million students, parents, and school staff across the globe.

The breach revealed substantial gaps in PowerSchool's data security practices. Importantly, school districts were not informed of the breach for nearly two weeks, leading to significant concern among those affected. PowerSchool has admitted to paying a ransom to the cybercriminals, raising fears that personal information could be further distributed or sold on the dark web. Disturbingly, there are indications that hackers have attempted direct extortion against school districts utilizing PowerSchool’s services.

Memphis-Shelby County Schools has invested over $21 million in PowerSchool's services over the past 12 years, relying on the software provider's assurances that data privacy would be maintained. The lawsuit asserts that PowerSchool has violated its commitments to ensure the protection of sensitive student information. As William Shinoff, trial attorney from Frantz Law Group, articulated, "PowerSchool did not fulfill its obligation to secure and protect the personal data of students."

Shinoff further elaborated that, “The educational community had a reasonable trust in PowerSchool's claims about privacy and security, which the company breached, impacting Memphis-Shelby schools and other educational districts throughout the nation.”

The breach compromised a variety of sensitive personal information, including names, addresses, Social Security numbers, and phone numbers. The lawsuit highlights PowerSchool's failure to employ fundamental cybersecurity measures which could have potentially mitigated the breach.

The damages incurred due to this oversight are manifold. Schools must now address the fallout from the breach, which encompasses costs related to managing the consequences for concerned students and faculty. Additionally, substantial time and financial resources have been squandered in efforts to address and remediate the breach’s effects.

The complaint lodged against PowerSchool Holdings is presently in deliberation at the U.S. District Court in Southern California, where PowerSchool's headquarters are located in Folsom, California.

About Frantz Law Group

Frantz Law Group is a reputable law firm specializing in personal injury, wrongful death, and class action litigation for over 45 years. Having successfully secured over 300 multimillion-dollar settlements and judgments, the firm continues to work with other legal representatives to facilitate multibillion-dollar settlements that serve large client bases. Recognized for its excellence in mass tort litigation and class actions, the firm has consistently been ranked Tier 1 in U.S. News – Best Lawyers® "Best Law Firms" from 2010 to 2023. For further information about the firm’s services, please visit Frantz Law Group's website.