Law professor sues Georgetown University after sensitive data leak

A University of Virginia law professor has filed a lawsuit against Georgetown University after a data leak last week exposed the personal information of many of its students and applicants, The Georgetown Voice reported over the weekend.

Mary Margaret “Maggie” Cleary, a Georgetown alumnus who teaches trial advocacy at the University of Virginia School of Law, alleges her former school failed to properly secure the leaked data, which included financial information, grades, immigrant status and Social Security numbers. The Voice reported that the leak was the result of a misconfigured Ellucian data management system and that 29 students are thought to have possibly viewed the sensitive data.

Cleary’s lawsuit seeks monetary and punitive damages and demands the university provide financial assistance for anyone who whose information was compromised. She also called for the university to improve its data security practices.