Seattle Public Schools Settlement: $300,000 for the Carruth Data Breach, Claims Due December 2, 2026
Questions about this case?
AI Legal Assistant · free · answers in seconds · general information, not legal advice
The seattle public schools settlement in the news is a $300,000 deal in a Seattle Public Schools class action, covering current and former employees of Seattle Public Schools and Federal Way Public Schools whose data sat with Carruth Compliance Consulting, the vendor that ran their 403(b) retirement plans and was breached in December 2024. A King County judge gave preliminary approval on August 4, 2026. The claim deadline is December 2, 2026; final approval is decided at a hearing on December 18, 2026. Nothing has been paid yet.
Editorially Reviewed — Content reviewed for accuracy using published legal research, government data, and verified court records. See our methodology
Reviewed by Leonard Goldberg, Editor · Last updated
What the Seattle Public Schools Lawsuit Is About
Carruth Compliance Consulting is the third-party administrator for the 403(b) retirement savings plans of many school districts, including Seattle Public Schools. Per the district, unauthorized access to Carruth’s network occurred in late December 2024; the attack window reported for the case runs from December 19 to December 26, 2024. Seattle Public Schools posted its own notice on January 16, 2025 and told staff to assume that everyone employed since 2008 was affected.
The exposed data may include names, Social Security numbers and financial account information, and in some cases driver’s license numbers, W-2 information, medical billing information (not medical records) and tax filings.
The seattle public schools lawsuit alleges that the two districts failed to protect employees’ personal information they handed to the vendor. The districts deny all claims and any wrongdoing; the settlement is not an admission of liability.
Case Details
The case is Fitch, et al. v. Seattle Public Schools, et al., Case No. 25-2-04060-7 SEA, in the Superior Court of the State of Washington for King County — a state court, not federal. The first amended complaint was filed on March 20, 2025 and also named Carruth as a defendant; Carruth is not a party to this settlement.
On June 26, 2025 the case was removed to the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of Washington (No. 2:25-ap-1079-CMA). Bankruptcy Judge Christopher M. Alston sent it back to King County on December 9, 2025. The preliminary approval order, filed August 4, 2026, was signed by Judge Tenaya Scheinman. The court appointed Angeion Group, LLC as claims administrator. The official site is CarruthSettlement.com.
Status: Preliminarily Approved, Claims Open Until December 2, 2026
No payment date exists. Benefits go out only if the court grants final approval and after any appeals are resolved or the time to appeal runs out. We covered the settlement math in detail in our news report on the Carruth settlement.
This settlement is with Seattle Public Schools and Federal Way Public Schools only; Carruth is not a defendant in it.
Don't miss the claim deadline
Claims are due by December 2, 2026. We'll email you 7 days and 1 day before the deadline.
Who Can File a Claim
The class is everyone whose personal information was provided by Seattle Public Schools or Federal Way Public Schools to Carruth Compliance Consulting and was compromised in the breach Carruth disclosed in January 2025. ClassAction.org, citing court documents, puts the class at about 38,374 people. Directors and officers of the two districts and government entities are excluded.
The practical test is your mail. The class notice carries a Notice ID and confirmation code that the online claim form asks for. If you lost it, the paper claim form can be matched by the name and address used in the January 2025 breach notification. Not sure? Call the administrator at 1-844-938-4308.
Students and parents are not in this class — the breach involved employee retirement-plan records.
How Much the Settlement Pays
Out-of-pocket losses: up to $5,000. Requires third-party documentation such as receipts or bank statements for losses incurred on or after December 19, 2024. Handwritten, self-prepared receipts are not enough on their own.
Pro rata cash: up to $599. No proof of loss needed. The notice says the final amount may be less than $599, depending on the number of valid claims.
Be realistic about the cap. Class counsel may ask for attorneys’ fees of up to $100,000 plus expenses, and service awards of up to $15,000 total for the three named plaintiffs. Those, administration costs and documented-loss claims all come out of the same fund first. If everything together exceeds the fund, all payments are reduced pro rata.
Carruth Breach and Seattle Public Schools Settlement Timeline
- 1
December 2024 — Carruth Is Breached
Unauthorized access to the 403(b) vendor’s network occurs in late December 2024, reported as December 19 to December 26.
- 2
January 2025 — Notices Go Out
Carruth discloses the breach. Seattle Public Schools posts its notice on January 16, 2025 and points staff to free IDX credit monitoring.
- 3
March 20, 2025 — Amended Class Action Filed
The first amended complaint in Fitch v. Seattle Public Schools is filed in King County Superior Court, No. 25-2-04060-7 SEA.
- 4
June 26 to December 9, 2025 — Detour Through Bankruptcy Court
The case is removed to the federal bankruptcy court in Seattle, then remanded to King County on December 9, 2025.
- 5
August 4, 2026 — Preliminary Approval
The court preliminarily approves the $300,000 settlement and appoints Angeion Group as administrator.
- 6
December 2026 — Claim Deadline and Final Hearing
Opt-outs and objections close November 2, 2026; claims close December 2, 2026; the final approval hearing is December 18, 2026.
Three Things to Watch For
A settlement that targets school employees by name, with a short deadline, gives imposters an easy script:
Look-alike claim sites
The only official site is CarruthSettlement.com, run by Angeion Group. Filing a claim never costs money. A page charging a “processing fee” or asking for bank login details is not the settlement.
Emails asking for your full Social Security number
The online form asks for your Notice ID and confirmation code from the notice. A message that knows you work for the district but demands your full Social Security number or retirement account login to “verify” you should be checked against the official site first.
Calls about your 403(b) after the breach
The stolen data was retirement-plan data, so expect fake “plan administrator” calls asking you to move or verify funds. Hang up and call your plan provider at the number on your own statement.
Seattle Public Schools Settlement — Questions People Actually Ask
Is the Seattle Public Schools settlement real?
Yes. It is Fitch v. Seattle Public Schools, No. 25-2-04060-7 SEA, in King County Superior Court, preliminarily approved on August 4, 2026. The administrator is Angeion Group; the official site is CarruthSettlement.com and the toll-free number is 1-844-938-4308.
What is the deadline to file a claim?
December 2, 2026, online or by mail postmarked by that date. The deadline to opt out or object was set for November 2, 2026.
How much will I get?
Up to $599 in pro rata cash without proof, plus up to $5,000 for documented losses. The $599 is a ceiling, not a promise: the $300,000 fund also pays fees, service awards and administration, and the cash share shrinks as more people claim.
When will payments be made?
No date is set. Payments can only go out after the court grants final approval — the hearing is December 18, 2026 — and after any appeals are resolved.
I worked for Seattle Public Schools years ago. Am I included?
Possibly. The district told staff to assume that everyone employed since 2008 was affected. The class covers people whose information the district gave Carruth and whose data was compromised; a notice in the mail is the clearest sign.
Is Carruth paying anything?
Not in this settlement. Carruth was named in the March 2025 amended complaint, but this $300,000 deal is with Seattle Public Schools and Federal Way Public Schools only.
I lost my notice. Can I still file?
Yes. Download the paper claim form from CarruthSettlement.com; membership can be confirmed with the name and address used in the January 2025 breach notification. You can also ask the administrator by phone or at info@CarruthSettlement.com.
What should I do besides filing?
Freeze your credit at all three bureaus — free and reversible. Keep receipts for any breach-related costs since December 19, 2024; they are the basis for the up to $5,000 loss claim.
Separate from this case: were you injured in the last 2 years?
Class-action payouts are fixed amounts through an administrator. A personal injury claim is a different case — and often worth far more. Free estimate, no obligation.
Related Consumer Brand Lawsuits
Open Class Action Settlements
Settlements taking claims now, with deadlines and official sites
Data Breach Settlement Calculator
Estimate a pro rata share before you file
Settlement Payout Calculator
How fees and claim rates shrink a per-person payment
Canvas Data Breach Lawsuit
Another education-sector breach case and where it stands