Harbaugh and Manuel Named in Lawsuit Alleging Cover-Up of student-Athlete Data Breach
A civil rights and Title IX class action lawsuit filed against the University of Michigan has been amended to include former Wolverines head coach Jim Harbaugh and current athletic director Warde Manuel as individual defendants, alleging a deliberate disregard for the safety of student-athletes.
The lawsuit centers around allegations that former offensive coordinator Matt Weiss accessed and stole private, intimate images and information belonging to female student-athletes while employed by the university. According to the amended complaint, university officials were aware, or should have been aware, of Weiss’s alleged misconduct by December 21, 2022, yet failed to take swift action to protect the affected students.
“The University of Michigan knowingly permitted Matt Weiss to coach in the Fiesta Bowl on December 31, 2022, despite credible reports that he had been seen accessing plaintiffs’ private information at schembechler Hall between December 21 and 23,” stated parker Stinar, founding partner at Stinar Gould Grieco & Hensley PLLC. “These actions were reported to the university before the game, yet no protective action was taken.”
The complaint asserts that the university prioritized the football program’s postseason success over the well-being and privacy of its students. The inclusion of Harbaugh and Manuel as defendants underscores the plaintiffs’ belief that leadership at the highest levels either possessed knowledge of the alleged threats or intentionally overlooked them, prioritizing “athletic prestige and profit over the safety and dignity of students,” according to Stinar.
Weiss currently faces a 24-count federal indictment for cyber sexual harassment, encompassing unauthorized access to student emails and cloud accounts. The alleged misconduct extends beyond the University of Michigan, with court documents revealing Weiss allegedly hacked into databases managed by Keffer Progress Services, compromising the personally identifiable and medical information of over 150,000 athletes across more than 100 colleges and universities. He is also accused of gaining access to the social media, email, and cloud storage accounts of over 1,300 students nationwide.
Currently, 62 student-athletes across multiple universities, including the University of Michigan and institutions outside the state, are listed as plaintiffs in the suit. The defendants have until June 2, 2025, to respond to the complaint.
The University of michigan intends to file a motion to dismiss the case, citing immunity granted by the 11th Amendment as a defense against the accusations.
The amended complaint also draws attention to a pattern of past misconduct within the university, referencing previous scandals involving Dr. Robert Anderson, Provost Martin Philbert, and President Mark Schlissel. this context suggests a systemic issue of prioritizing institutional reputation over student safety.
Plaintiffs are seeking both monetary damages and injunctive relief, demanding full disclosure of the university’s handling of the data breach and the implementation of robust safety and reporting protocols to prevent future incidents. “The university’s delay in taking meaningful protective action until after a high-stakes game sends a clear message: student welfare was secondary,” Stinar emphasized. “This case is about institutional accountability and about ensuring that no student is sacrificed for competitive success.”
The allegations against Weiss specifically involve targeting female students in an attempt to obtain intimate photos and videos without thier consent. This underscores the severity of the alleged misconduct and the potential for lasting harm to the victims.
