The University of Michigan and its regents responded to one of eight lawsuits filed against them after a former football coach was charged for allegedly hacking into student-athlete accounts to steal private images.
Federal prosecutors charged Matt Weiss with unlawfully accessing the social media and computer accounts of more than 3,300 individuals.
Recommended Videos
Previous coverage: Student athlete steps forward in class action lawsuit against ex-Michigan football coach Matt Weiss
Weiss is accused of specifically targeting female students in an attempt to obtain intimate photos and videos without their knowledge or consent.
Court documents revealed Weiss allegedly hacked into databases managed by Keffer Development Services, downloading personally identifiable and medical information of over 150,000 athletes across more than 100 colleges and universities.
Weiss then allegedly gained access to social media, email, and cloud storage accounts of more than 1,300 students nationwide.
62 student-athletes are listed as plaintiffs across several universities, including the University of Michigan and several other universities outside the state.
Court documents said the defendants in the lawsuit have until June 2, 2025, to respond to the complaint.
The university intends to file a motion to dismiss the case, as they claim the accusations against them are barred by immunity granted by the 11th Amendment.
