Things just keep getting worse for Ohio University, whose computer-security meltdowns (The Chronicle, June 2) have attracted a fair bit of unwanted attention. Just days after an independent auditor chided campus officials for neglecting their own computer network, two alumni have sued the university, arguing that their right to privacy was violated when their Social Security numbers were exposed.
The lawsuit asks the institution to pay for credit-monitoring services for anyone whose personal information was left unguarded. And it seeks compensation for anyone who lost money as a result of the security breaches.
John Burns, the university’s legal-affairs director, told the Associated Press that he was expecting a lawsuit of some sort. But he admitted he was caught off guard by the fact that the suit seeks class-action status. —Brock Read
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