Matt Weiss University Student-Athlete Hacking Lawsuit

If Your Personal Data Has Been Compromised, Talk to an Experienced Attorney Today

In March 2025, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan announced that it had filed criminal charges against Matthew Weiss, a former assistant football coach at the University of Michigan. The indictment alleges that Weiss accessed the personal data of thousands of student-athletes at the University of Michigan and other universities around the nation between 2015 and 2023. 

Theft and exposure of personal data can cause serious harm. If you believe your personal information was compromised or have received a notice advising you that your personal information was accessed, speak to an experienced Michigan civil attorney today. 

The University of Michigan Hacking Case

According to the indictment, Weiss allegedly accessed thousands of student-athletes’ information using a third-party database between 2015 and 2023. He did so without authorization or consent. The indictment claims Weiss downloaded the personal and medical data of over 150,000 athletes from around the United States.

With this data, Weiss then accessed the social media, email, and cloud storage accounts of over 2,000 athletes and 1,300 other students and alumni. He used this access to find and steal intimate photos and other information from accounts that athletes believed were secure from such violations. 

The case will now progress towards trial, where federal prosecutors will attempt to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. If they succeed, Weiss can face a maximum of five years imprisonment on each count of unauthorized access and two years on each count of aggravated identity theft, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. 

How The Hack Harms Student-Athletes

Those who use social media, email, and personal cloud data storage trust that the data they upload is safe from prying eyes. This is especially true for those who encrypt their data storage, set passwords, or set their social media account settings to “private.” 

When that information gets out, it may cause serious damage. The resulting invasion of privacy can cause more than sleepless nights or emotional anguish, it can also cause serious harm to an athlete’s reputation, future prospects, and professional and personal relationships. 

The indictment names Weiss, but it does not name the University of Michigan or Keffer Development Services. However, it appears that the University knew about the data breaches as early as December 2023 一 yet it took no steps to address the breaches or warn students and alumni that their data may have been compromised. Those hacked are just now receiving notices from the U.S. Attorney’s Office.  Those affected by the breach may wish to seek compensation from the University for its failure to take affirmative steps. 

Similarly, students and alumni may wish to seek compensation from the third-party database vendor Weiss accessed – Keffer Development Services.  Keffer was in charge of maintaining the medical data of student-athletes 一 the same data Weiss accessed. Filing a civil claim can help reveal the extent to which Keffer failed in its duty to protect the data it managed. 

What To Do If Your Data Was Compromised

These cases are the latest in a string of claims that address how universities fail to protect student-athletes from athletic staff misconduct. Reports of abuse, privacy violations, and other serious harm have occurred in several university athletic programs, only to be dismissed or minimized by university authorities. 

If you suspect your data may have been compromised in this cybercrime or a similar event:

• Check your mail. The United States Attorney’s Office Victim/Witness Department is sending notices to those affected athletes and alumni in the coming weeks. 
• Protect your data. Change your passwords, delete information you no longer need, and back up anything you want to save to an external hard drive or thumb drive. Store the drive somewhere safe, where only you can access it. For additional protection, you may wish to make two copies of the drive.
• Speak to an attorney. An attorney experienced in handling high-profile cases involving harm against student-athletes can help you fight for compensation 一 and send a message that universities need to meet their obligations to protect their students. 

Speak To an Experienced Civil Lawsuit Michigan Attorney Today

The criminal case filed against Weiss seeks to hold him accountable for any criminal laws he is proven to have violated. However, such a case is not likely to compensate those he affected. 

If your personal data was compromised, you may experience serious losses. Fear, mental and emotional anguish, lost business or sports opportunities, and the financial costs of locking down your data can pile up. You may wonder if you’ll ever feel safe again or how you can hold perpetrators accountable for their actions.

There is hope. Sommers Schwartz, P.C. attorneys Lisa Esser-Weidenfeller, Richard Groffsky, and Matthew Curtis will be pursuing a civil case against the University of Michigan, Weiss, and Keffer Development Services. They’ll help you investigate your case and fight for the compensation you well deserve.