Current and former Seattle Public Schools and Federal Way Public Schools employees whose personal information was compromised in the December 2024 cyberattack on retirement plan vendor Carruth Compliance Consulting may qualify to claim a pro rata cash payment of up to $599, plus up to $5,000 in documented losses, from the $300,000 Seattle and Federal Way schools data breach class action settlement. Claims close December 2, 2026.
Current Status
Claims are open. The deadline to file is December 2, 2026, online or by mail postmarked that day. The King County Superior Court has granted preliminary approval, and the final fairness hearing is scheduled for December 18, 2026 at 8:30 a.m. Pacific time. The deadline to opt out or object is November 2, 2026. No payment date had been announced as of September 30, 2026, and nothing will be paid unless the court grants final approval.Free settlement alerts
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What Changed Recently?
Seattle Public Schools and Federal Way Public Schools agreed to a $300,000 non-reversionary settlement of Fitch, et al. v. Seattle Public Schools, et al., a class action in King County Superior Court over the December 2024 cyberattack on Carruth Compliance Consulting Inc., a third-party retirement plan vendor the two districts used. Carruth disclosed the breach in January 2025, and the districts sent notice letters to affected employees that month.The lawsuit brings claims against the two districts on behalf of the people whose information they had provided to Carruth. The case was filed in King County in 2025, spent time in federal court, and was sent back to state court by an order of remand in January 2026. Both districts deny all of the claims and any wrongdoing, and the settlement is not an admission that either violated any law. Carruth is not a defendant in this case.
Who Qualifies?
The settlement class is all individuals whose personal information was provided by Seattle Public Schools or Federal Way Public Schools to Carruth Compliance Consulting and was compromised in the data breach Carruth disclosed in January 2025. In practice that is mainly current and former employees of the two districts, most of whom received a notice letter in January 2025 and a settlement notice in 2026.Excluded are directors and officers of either district, government entities, the judge and court staff assigned to the case and the judge's immediate family, anyone who opts out, and anyone convicted of or pleading no contest to a role in the attack.
How Much Can You Get?
Two benefits are available, and they stack:- Out-of-pocket losses — reimbursement of up to $5,000 per person for documented, unreimbursed expenses fairly traceable to the breach and incurred on or after December 19, 2024. Covered costs include bank and card fees, card reissuance fees, fees from a frozen account, credit reports and credit monitoring bought because of the breach, phone, data, postage and mileage charges, notary, accountant and attorneys' fees, and losses from fraud or identity theft more likely than not caused by the breach.
- Pro rata cash — a payment of up to $599 for every class member who elects it on the claim form, regardless of whether they claim losses.
For another settlement involving employees whose data was exposed through their employer, see the Etairos Health data breach settlement.
What Proof or Notice ID Is Required?
The online claim portal requires the Notice ID and Confirmation Code printed on the personalized settlement notice before a claim can be started, so this settlement is Proof Required: Yes. The paper claim form is more flexible: it accepts either the unique identifier from the notice or your name and the physical address the January 2025 breach notice letter was sent to. Class members without their codes can download the paper form from the settlement website and mail it.The pro rata cash payment needs no receipts. Out-of-pocket loss claims require third-party documentation such as bank or credit card statements, receipts or phone bills; self-prepared notes can only explain those documents, not replace them. Credit monitoring costs need either a receipt for a one-year subscription or at least three consecutive monthly receipts plus an attestation that you will keep the service for at least a year after the claim deadline. Fraud and identity theft claims also require a box confirming the charges were not reimbursed.
What Is the Deadline?
- December 2, 2026 — claim deadline. Online claims must be submitted by that date; mailed claims must be postmarked by it, or, if there is no postmark, received within seven days after it.
- November 2, 2026 — deadline to opt out or object, by postmark (or received within seven days if not postmarked).
- December 18, 2026 at 8:30 a.m. Pacific time — final fairness hearing.
How Do You Take Action?
File on the official Carruth Settlement claim page by logging in with the Notice ID and Confirmation Code from your notice, choosing the pro rata cash payment, and adding any out-of-pocket losses with their documentation. The paper claim form, the notice and the settlement agreement are on the Important Documents page.To opt out, mail a signed written request that includes the case name and number, your full name, address, telephone number and email, and a clear statement that you want to be excluded. Opt-out requests cannot be made by phone or email. An objection must be mailed to the settlement administrator and to counsel for both sides and must include, among other things, proof that you are a class member, every ground for the objection, and a list of any class action objections you have filed in the past five years. The notice on the settlement website lists the addresses. You cannot both opt out and object, but you can object and still file a claim.
What Happens Next?
The court will hold the final fairness hearing on December 18, 2026 at the King County Courthouse in Seattle, where it will decide whether to approve the settlement, the fee and expense request and the service awards. The date, time or location can change without further notice, so check the settlement website. Benefits are paid only after final approval and after any appeals are resolved or the time to appeal runs out.Class members who do not opt out release their claims against the districts and the other released parties over the breach, whether or not they file a claim.
Sources and Verification
- Official Carruth Settlement website — overview, important dates and claim portal
- Class Action Notice, Fitch, et al. v. Seattle Public Schools, et al., No. 25-2-04060-7 SEA (embedded below)
- Settlement Agreement (embedded below)
- Claim Form, available on the official website's Important Documents page
- Preliminary Approval Order
- First Amended Class Action Complaint
Questions
Can I get both the cash payment and reimbursement for losses?
Yes. The pro rata cash payment of up to $599 is available to every class member who files a valid claim and checks the box electing it, whether or not they also claim out-of-pocket losses. Documented losses of up to $5,000 are paid first, and the cash payment is then split evenly from what remains.
What if I lost the notice with my Notice ID?
The online claim form requires the Notice ID and Confirmation Code from your personalized notice. The paper claim form lets you verify membership instead with your name and the physical address the January 2025 breach notice letter was sent to, and it can be downloaded from the settlement website and mailed. The settlement administrator can also be reached through the website's contact page.
Why might the cash payment be less than $599?
The whole settlement is a $300,000 fund. Documented-loss claims, administration costs, attorneys' fees of up to $100,000 plus expenses, and service awards of up to $15,000 are paid from it first, and the remainder is divided equally among everyone who elects the cash payment. The more people file, the smaller each share.
What counts as proof for out-of-pocket losses?
Third-party documentation such as bank or credit card statements, receipts or phone bills showing the charge, for losses incurred on or after December 19, 2024 that are fairly traceable to the breach and were not reimbursed. Self-prepared notes can explain other documents but are not enough on their own. Unrelated transactions and all but the first four and last four digits of account numbers may be redacted.
Is Carruth Compliance Consulting paying this settlement?
No. The defendants in this case are Seattle Public Schools and Federal Way Public Schools, which had provided employee information to Carruth, their third-party retirement plan vendor. Both districts deny the claims and any wrongdoing.
