Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has filed action against PowerSchool, a California-based educational software company, following a data breach that exposed the personal information of nearly one million Texas students and educators. According to a release from the Texas Attorney General's Office, the breach compromised names, Social Security numbers, and even sensitive health information.
The lawsuit accuses PowerSchool of misleading practices, stating that despite its claims of meeting high security standards, the company allegedly failed to implement basic safeguards such as multi-factor authentication, access controls, and data encryption. In December 2024, a hacker reportedly used a subcontractor’s login credentials to extract unencrypted data to an overseas server. The compromised information included Social Security numbers, medical records, and other sensitive details, including school bus stop locations.
At the center of the legal action are claims that PowerSchool breached the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act and the Identity Theft Enforcement and Protection Act. As Paxton puts it, "Parents should never have to worry that the information they provide to enroll their children in school could be stolen and misused. My office will do everything we can to hold PowerSchool accountable for putting Texas students, teachers, and families at risk," a sentiment captured in the statement from the Attorney General's Office.
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