Seattle and Federal Way Schools Carruth Data Breach Settlement

Current and former Seattle Public Schools and Federal Way Public Schools employees may claim. This settlement resolves Fitch, et al. v. Seattle Public Schools, et al., Case No. 25-2-04060-7 SEA in King County Superior Court, over the December 2024 cyberattack on Carruth Compliance Consulting, Inc., the third-party retirement-plan administrator both districts used. Carruth identified suspicious activity on December 21, 2024, determined an unauthorized actor had access between December 19 and December 26, 2024, and published its breach notice on January 13, 2025. Four things deserve attention before you file. First, and most important: this settlement covers only two school districts, not everyone in the Carruth breach. Carruth administers retirement plans for public school districts generally, and the original complaint proposed a class of all Washington residents caught in the breach while naming Carruth itself as a defendant. The settlement that was reached does neither. Only people whose information Seattle Public Schools or Federal Way Public Schools gave to Carruth are in the class, and Carruth is not a settling defendant and pays nothing here. If your January 2025 Carruth letter came through a different district, this is not your settlement. Second, the two benefits stack. You are not forced to pick. A class member can claim up to $5,000 in documented out-of-pocket losses and also elect the pro rata cash payment of up to $599 on the same form, and the Claim Form says the cash is available regardless of whether you claim losses. But the cash payment is not automatic for claimants: you have to tick the election box in Section 2C or you get nothing from it. Third, the $599 is a ceiling on a leftover, and the fund behind it is small. The entire settlement is a $300,000 common fund. The pro rata cash is whatever remains after approved loss claims, notice and administration costs, attorneys' fees of up to $100,000 and service awards of up to $15,000, divided evenly among everyone who elected it. Fees and service awards alone could take $115,000 off the top. The Notice states the payment may be less than $599, and if total claims and costs overshoot the fund then every payment, reimbursement included, is cut pro rata. Fourth, the opt-out and objection deadline is November 2, 2026, a month before the December 2, 2026 claim deadline. Wait for the claim date to decide whether you want out of the class and that choice is already gone. One practical note in your favor: you do not need your notice code to file. Section 2A of the Claim Form accepts your name and the physical address your district's January 2025 breach letter was mailed to as an alternative to the unique identifier.

Do I Qualify?

You may be eligible if:

• Your personal information was provided by Seattle Public Schools or Federal Way Public Schools to Carruth Compliance Consulting, Inc. and was compromised in the data breach Carruth disclosed in January 2025. That is the class definition, word for word
• IT MUST BE ONE OF THESE TWO DISTRICTS. This is the gate that disqualifies most people who search for a Carruth settlement. Carruth provides retirement-plan administration to public school districts generally, and a January 2025 Carruth breach letter received through any other employer does not make you a class member here. Carruth is not a defendant in this case and is not paying this settlement
• Current OR former employees both qualify. You do not have to still work for either district. Federal Way Public Schools stated the breach potentially impacts all employees employed by FWPS dating back to the late 1990s, and Seattle Public Schools has used Carruth since 2008
• You do NOT need to have had a 403(b) account. FWPS said the exposure reached employees regardless of whether they had an account
• You do NOT need to live in Washington. The settlement class definition contains no residency requirement, so a former Seattle or Federal Way school employee who has moved out of state is still covered. The earlier complaint had proposed a Washington-residents-only class and the settlement dropped that limit
• You do NOT need to have lost any money. Electing the pro rata cash payment of up to $599 requires no receipts and no supporting records at all. Documentation is needed only for the separate out-of-pocket reimbursement, which you may add on top
• You do NOT need your notice code. Section 2A of the Claim Form accepts either the unique identifier from your mailed Notice or your name plus the physical address the January 2025 breach notice letter was issued to
• You are not in an excluded group. Excluded are directors and officers of either district, government entities, the Judge assigned to the case along with the Judge's immediate family and Court staff, anyone who timely opts out, and anyone criminally responsible for the attack. District directors and officers are out even though rank-and-file staff are in
• You tick the election box for the cash payment. Filing a claim does not get you the pro rata cash automatically. Section 2C of the Claim Form requires you to affirmatively elect it
• You file by December 2, 2026, online or postmarked by that date. Note the separate and earlier November 2, 2026 deadline to opt out or object

Proof works differently for the two benefits here, and the headline requirement is softer than it looks. Getting into the claim form: you do not need your notice code. The login screen at CarruthSettlement.com is headed "Login with your Notice ID and Confirmation Code," which makes this look like a code-gated settlement, and it also offers an option for people who did not receive a notice. More to the point, the court-approved Claim Form settles the question. Section 2A, Verification of Settlement Class Membership, states that to let the Claims Administrator confirm your membership you must provide either (1) the unique identifier provided in the Notice you received by mail, or (2) your name and the physical address the January 2025 notice letter was issued to. That alternative applies to the paper form and the online form alike, so a lost postcard is not fatal. One inconsistency to be ready for: the live online form's Section 2A helper text refers to the "July 2025 notice letter" while the Claim Form and the Notice both say January 2025. The court documents control. If you are unsure which address the administrator has on file, call 1-844-938-4308 or email info@CarruthSettlement.com rather than guessing, and note that the online form confirms claims against the class list, so the administrator is matching you to a record it already holds. The pro rata cash payment needs no documents whatsoever. Electing the cash payment of up to $599 requires only that you tick the election box in Section 2C and sign the attestation. There are no receipts, no records and no explanation to provide. If your only injury from this breach was worry and wasted time, this is the benefit for you, and it is the one most people will claim. Only the out-of-pocket reimbursement requires evidence, and the standard is third-party records. The Settlement Agreement and Claim Form require that expenses be attested to and supported by documentation substantiating the full extent of the amount claimed, incurred on or after December 19, 2024. Acceptable records are third-party items such as bank or credit card statements, receipts, bills from your telephone, mobile or internet provider, or other proof of the charge. Self-prepared records are explicitly insufficient on their own. The Agreement says self-prepared documents such as handwritten receipts are, by themselves, not enough to receive reimbursement, though they can be considered to add clarity or support to other documentation you submit. You may redact unrelated transactions and all but the first four and last four digits of any account number. Credit monitoring claims carry an extra, specific requirement. To recover the cost of credit monitoring activated between December 19, 2024 and the claims deadline you must submit either a receipt showing a one-year subscription during that window, or at least three receipts showing consecutive monthly payments during that window plus an attestation that you intend to keep the service through at least one year after the claims deadline. Credit report and monitoring costs also count only if purchased primarily because of this incident and not previously covered by SPS or FWPS, and you must check an attestation box saying so. Fraud and identity theft claims need causation and a non-reimbursement box. Such a loss must be an actual documented monetary loss, more likely than not caused by the Data Security Incident, incurred after the incident, and not previously reimbursed by a third party. You must attach third-party documentation showing causation and tick a box confirming you were not reimbursed for the charges. Everything is signed under attestation, and the administrator can ask for more. The Claim Form attests that the information supplied is true and correct, and states that you may be asked to provide supplemental information by the Claims Administrator before your claim is considered complete and valid. The practical risk is thin paperwork, not the cash election. Because the two benefits stack rather than compete, claiming reimbursement costs you nothing: a reimbursement claim that fails for want of documents does not take the cash payment with it, as long as you ticked the Section 2C election box. That is the opposite of the usual trade-off in data breach settlements, and it is the strongest argument for filling in both sections of this form.

What Happened?

Carruth Compliance Consulting, Inc. is a third-party administrator that provides retirement-plan administration services to public school districts, including management of 403(b) and other retirement savings plans. Seattle Public Schools has engaged Carruth since 2008. Federal Way Public Schools has engaged Carruth as third-party administrator for its employees' and former employees' retirement savings plans and, judging by its own statement about the breach reaching staff employed since the late 1990s, may have used Carruth since then.

According to the First Amended Class Action Complaint, Carruth identified suspicious activity on its network on December 21, 2024. Its investigation determined that an unauthorized actor had access between December 19, 2024 and December 26, 2024 and that certain files were copied from its systems. Carruth published a breach notice on its website on or about January 13, 2025, and the two districts sent notice letters to affected employees that month.

The complaint describes the information held by Carruth for current and past district employees as including full names, Social Security numbers, financial account information, driver's license numbers, W-2 information, medical billing information, tax filings, and additional information needed to administer retirement savings plans. Not every class member's records necessarily contained every category.

Federal Way Public Schools stated that the breach "potentially impacts all employees who have been employed by Federal Way Public Schools dating back to the late 1990's, regardless of whether they had a 403(b) account." The complaint describes Seattle Public Schools as serving 49,226 students with approximately 6,486 school-based staff, and Federal Way Public Schools as serving approximately 21,000 students with approximately 3,000 school-based staff, and alleges on information and belief that the class is likely to consist of at least tens of thousands of members once former employees are included.

The procedural history matters for who ends up covered. The First Amended Class Action Complaint, filed March 20, 2025, named three defendants: Seattle Public Schools, Federal Way Public Schools, and Carruth Compliance Consulting, Inc., and it proposed a class of all individuals residing in Washington whose personal information was compromised in the Carruth breach, asserting claims including negligence and violation of the Washington Consumer Protection Act. The case was filed in King County in 2025, spent time in federal court, and was returned to state court by an order of remand entered January 27, 2026.

The settlement that was ultimately reached is narrower than the complaint on both axes. The settling Defendants are only the two school districts, and the Settlement Class is limited to individuals whose information those districts provided to Carruth. Carruth is not a settling defendant and contributes nothing to the fund. Readers who want to know exactly whose claims are given up should check the Released Parties definition in Section VIII of the Settlement Agreement on the official website, because the release can reach beyond the named defendants.

Both districts deny all claims and deny every allegation and charge of wrongdoing or liability. The Settlement is not an admission of wrongdoing and is not an indication that either district violated any law. The parties agreed to settle to avoid the uncertainties and expenses of ongoing litigation.

The Settlement creates a non-reversionary common fund of $300,000, which pays valid claims, the costs of claims administration, any Service Awards the Court approves, and any attorneys' fees and expenses the Court awards. Class Counsel will apply for fees not to exceed $100,000 plus reasonably incurred litigation expenses, and for Service Awards not to exceed $5,000 per class representative or $15,000 total. The Court may award less. Angeion Group is the Claims Administrator and the Court appointed M. Anderson Berry, Brook E. Garberding and Gregory Haroutunian of Emery Reddy, PC as Settlement Class Counsel.

The King County Superior Court granted preliminary approval and will hold the Final Fairness Hearing on December 18, 2026 at 8:30 a.m. PST at the King County Courthouse, 516 3rd Ave, Seattle, WA 98104, where it will decide whether to grant final approval and whether to approve the fee and expense application and the service awards. The Notice warns the location, date and time may change without further notice. Benefits are distributed only after final approval and after any appeals are resolved or the period to appeal has expired.

How to File Your Claim

1. FILE AT CARRUTHSETTLEMENT.COM, the official court-authorized settlement website, administered by Angeion Group. Online filing is the fastest route, and the paper Claim Form can be downloaded from the Important Documents page of the same site
2. CHECK THE BOX FOR THE PRO RATA CASH PAYMENT. This is the easiest benefit to lose by accident. The Pro Rata Cash Payment is not automatic for class members who file. Section 2C of the Claim Form asks "Do you wish to participate in the Pro Rata Cash Payment?" and you must affirmatively check "Yes, I elect to receive the Pro Rata Cash Payment." Submit a claim without ticking that box and you have claimed nothing unless you also itemized out-of-pocket losses
3. ADD ANY OUT-OF-POCKET LOSSES ON TOP. Electing the cash payment does not stop you from also claiming reimbursement, and claiming reimbursement does not reduce your cash payment. Both benefits are available to the same person on the same form
4. VERIFY YOUR CLASS MEMBERSHIP IN SECTION 2A, WHICH ACCEPTS TWO ROUTES. The Claim Form says you must provide EITHER the unique identifier printed in the Notice you received by mail, OR your name and the physical address the January 2025 notice letter was issued to. If your postcard or email notice is gone, the name-and-address route is the documented way through, and it works on the mailed paper form as well as online. Be aware of one administrator inconsistency here: the live online form's Section 2A helper text refers to the "July 2025 notice letter" while the court-approved Claim Form and Notice both say January 2025. The court documents control, and the address the administrator is matching against is the one your district's breach notice was mailed to in January 2025
5. THE CLAIM DEADLINE IS DECEMBER 2, 2026. Online claims must be submitted by that date. Mailed claims must be postmarked no later than that date, and if a mailed claim carries no postmark it is treated as timely if it arrives within seven days after December 2, 2026. The settlement documents do not state a time of day for the online deadline, so do not leave it to the last hours
6. WATCH THE EARLIER DEADLINE OF NOVEMBER 2, 2026. Opting out and objecting both close a full month before claims do. A request for exclusion must be signed, mailed to the Claims Administrator at ATTN: Exclusion Request, P.O. Box 58220, Philadelphia, PA 19102, and postmarked by November 2, 2026, and it cannot be done by phone or email. An objection must be postmarked by the same date and mailed to the administrator AND to counsel for all three sides. You cannot both opt out and object, but you can object and still file a claim
7. KEEP YOUR DOCUMENTS THIRD-PARTY. Out-of-pocket loss claims require third-party records such as bank or credit card statements, receipts or phone bills. Self-prepared records such as handwritten notes can only clarify other documents you submit, never substitute for them. You may redact unrelated transactions and all but the first four and last four digits of any account number
8. MAIL ROUTE: Fitch, et al. v. Seattle Public Schools, et al., c/o Settlement Administrator, ATTN: CLAIMS, 1650 Arch Street, Suite 2210, Philadelphia, PA 19103. Print legibly in blue or black ink
9. QUESTIONS: the Claims Administrator at 1-844-938-4308 toll-free or info@CarruthSettlement.com. Settlement Class Counsel are M. Anderson Berry, Brook E. Garberding and Gregory Haroutunian of Emery Reddy, PC, 600 Stewart St., Suite 1100, Seattle, WA 98101, and class members are not charged for their services
10. Visit the official claim form: https://www.carruthsettlement.com/

How Much Will I Actually Get?

THE TWO BENEFITS STACK. THIS IS NOT AN EITHER-OR SETTLEMENT. Most data breach settlements make you pick between a flat cash award and reimbursement of your actual expenses. This one does not. The Claim Form states that all Settlement Class Members may elect to receive a Pro Rata Cash Fund Payment up to $599 "regardless of whether they make a claim for Out-of-Pocket Losses," and the Notice lists the two benefits as things class members may submit claims for without making them alternatives. The same person can claim reimbursement for documented expenses and also take the cash payment on the same form, and the reimbursement does not reduce the cash. THE $5,000 CAPS ONE BENEFIT PER PERSON, NOT THE SETTLEMENT. The $5,000 ceiling applies only to Compensation for Out-of-Pocket Losses, per person. It is not a settlement fund, it is not a cap on the case, and it has nothing to do with the cash payment. The real ceiling on everything in this settlement is the $300,000 common fund. THE $599 IS A CEILING ON A LEFTOVER, NOT A PROMISED PAYMENT, AND THAT DISTINCTION MATTERS MORE HERE THAN IN MOST SETTLEMENTS. The Claim Form spells out the mechanics: the Pro Rata Cash Payment "will evenly distribute the net amount of the Settlement Fund, after payment of all approved claims for Out-of-Pocket Losses, Notice and Administration Expenses, any Attorney's Fees and Expenses, and any Class Representative Service Awards the Court may award." Read that order of operations carefully. The cash payment is the residual. It is the last thing funded, and it is the only variable benefit. Everything else comes out of the $300,000 first: reimbursement claims of up to $5,000 each, the cost of notice and claims administration, attorneys' fees that Class Counsel will ask the Court to approve up to $100,000 plus litigation expenses, and Service Awards of up to $5,000 for each class representative capped at $15,000 total. Fees and service awards alone could consume up to $115,000 of a $300,000 fund before a single class member is paid, and administration costs for a class the complaint describes as likely at least tens of thousands of people come out of the same pot. Whatever survives is then divided evenly among everyone who elected the cash payment, so the per-person figure falls as participation rises. The Notice says plainly that depending on the number of valid claims the ultimate Pro Rata Cash Payment may be less than $599. Treat $599 as a best case that requires a low claim rate, not as the expected number. IF THE CLAIMS OVERSHOOT, EVEN YOUR REIMBURSEMENT GETS CUT. The Notice states that if compensation for out-of-pocket losses, claims administration costs, service awards and attorneys' fees and litigation expenses exceed the Settlement Fund, all class member payments will be reduced on a pro rata basis so that the Defendants' maximum payment does not exceed the fund. The $5,000 reimbursement cap is therefore not a guarantee either. In a $300,000 fund, sixty people each documenting the full $5,000 would exhaust the entire settlement on its own. THE FUND IS NON-REVERSIONARY, WHICH IS THE GOOD NEWS. The $300,000 is a non-reversionary common fund, meaning nothing left over goes back to Seattle Public Schools or Federal Way Public Schools. Money not spent on fees and administration stays destined for class members. That is precisely why electing the cash payment matters: the residual is distributed among claimants who ticked the box, and the fewer people who tick it, the more each of them receives. WHAT THE REIMBURSEMENT ACTUALLY COVERS. Up to $5,000 per person for unreimbursed out-of-pocket losses incurred on or after December 19, 2024 and before the December 2, 2026 claims deadline, fairly traceable to the Data Security Incident and not already reimbursed by a third party. The enumerated categories are postage, copying, scanning, faxing, mileage and other travel-related charges, parking, notary charges, research charges, cell phone charges only if charged by the minute, long distance phone charges, data charges only if charged based on the amount of data used, text message charges only if charged by the message, bank fees, accountant fees, attorneys' fees, and identity theft insurance products. The Claim Form breaks these into checkbox categories covering bank and card fees, fees from a frozen or unavailable account, card reissuance fees, incidental phone, internet, mileage and postage costs, credit reports and credit monitoring, and losses from fraud or identity theft. THERE IS NO CREDIT MONITORING BENEFIT AND NO LOST-TIME PAYMENT. Unlike many data breach settlements, this one does not hand out free credit monitoring as a benefit, and it pays nothing for hours spent dealing with the breach. You can be reimbursed for monitoring you bought yourself with receipts, but there is no free product to elect and no attested-hours option. NOTHING IS PAID UNTIL THE COURT APPROVES. The Final Fairness Hearing is set for December 18, 2026 at 8:30 a.m. PST at the King County Courthouse, 516 3rd Ave, Seattle, WA 98104, and the Notice warns the date, time or location may change without further notice. Benefits are distributed only if the Court grants final approval and after any appeals are resolved or the time to appeal expires. No payment date has been announced.

Last reviewed: October 1, 2026 | Information verified from court records and official settlement documents.

Frequently Asked Questions