Frequently Asked Questions

The Court authorized this Settlement Website because you have a right to know about the Settlement, and all of your options, before the Court decides whether to give final approval to the Settlement. This Settlement Website explains the nature of the Litigation that is the subject of the Settlement, the general terms of the Settlement, and your legal rights and options.

The Judge Deborah L. Boardman of the United States District Court for the District of Maryland is overseeing this case captioned as In re AACOM Data Breach Litigation, Case No. 8:25-cv-01239-TJS. The people who brought the lawsuit are called the Settlement Class Representatives. The company being sued, American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine, is called AACOM or Defendant.

AACOM is a professional association focused on osteopathic medicine. Defendant also provides centralized services including data collection and analysis and operation of the online application service for students applying to US osteopathic medical schools.

The Litigation alleges that on or about September 26, 2024, an unauthorized individual, or unauthorized individuals, gained access to the email account of an AACOM employee, and subsequently, the names, Social Security Numbers, and medical information of approximately 67,804 individuals.

AACOM denies any wrongdoing whatsoever. No court or other judicial body has made any judgment or other determination that AACOM has done anything wrong.

In a class action, one or more people called “Settlement Class Representatives” or “Plaintiffs” sue on behalf of all people who have similar claims. Together, all of these people are called a “Settlement Class,” and the individuals are called “Settlement Class Members.” One court resolves the issues for all Settlement Class Members, except for those who exclude themselves from the Settlement Class.

The Court has not decided in favor of the Plaintiffs or Defendant. Instead, both sides agreed to the Settlement. The Settlement avoids the cost and risk of a trial and related appeals, while providing benefits to Settlement Class Members. The Settlement Class Representatives appointed to represent the Settlement Class, and the attorneys for the Settlement Class, Settlement Class Counsel, think the Settlement is best for all Settlement Class Members.

You are affected by the Settlement and potentially a Settlement Class Member if you are an individual residing in the United States whose personally identifying information (PII) or personal health information (PHI) was identified as at issue in the Data Incident discovered by AACOM in September 2024, including all those individuals who received notice of the Data Incident.

Excluded from the Settlement Class are AACOM’s officers and directors, legal representatives, and attorneys; members of the judiciary to whom this case is assigned, their families, and members of their staff; all Settlement Class Members who timely and validly request exclusion from the Settlement Class; and any other person found by a court of competent jurisdiction to be guilty under criminal law of initiating, causing, aiding or abetting the criminal activity occurrence of the Data Incident or who pleads nolo contendere to any such charge.

If you are not sure whether you are included in the Settlement, you may call (833) 630-5371 with questions. You may also write with questions to:

In re AACOM Data Breach Litigation 
c/o Kroll Settlement Administration LLC
P.O. Box 225391
New York, NY 10150-5391

The Settlement provides a Settlement Fund shall be used by the Settlement Administrator to pay for: (i) reasonable Notice and Claims Administration Costs incurred pursuant to the Settlement Agreement as approved by the Parties and approved by the Court, (ii) any taxes owed by the Settlement Fund, (iii) any Service Awards approved by the Court, (iv) any attorneys’ Fee Award, Costs, and Expenses as approved by the Court, and (v) any benefits to Settlement Class Members. Settlement Class Members may elect to file a claim for either (1) an Alternative Cash Payment or (2) a claim for Compensation for Out-of-Pocket Losses and (3) Credit Monitoring services.

Settlement Class Members that submit a valid and timely Claim Form may select one or more of the following Settlement benefits:

a. Compensation for Out-of-Pocket Losses: Settlement Class Members may claim up to $3,500 by submitting a valid and timely Claim Form and reasonable supporting documentation for ordinary losses that more likely than not, was because of the Data Incident. You may not select the Cash Compensation below; 

Out-of-pocket losses can be any of the following categories:

• Out-of-pocket expenses incurred as a direct result of the Data Incident, including costs for fraud or identity protection, professional fees, credit repair services, and other expenses so long as the costs were incurred between the date of the Data Incident notice by Defendant and the end of the Claims Period, which will be a part of the Claim Form.

OR

b. Cash Compensation: Instead of Compensation for Out-of-Pocket Losses, Settlement Class Members may file a claim for an Alternative Cash Payment. The amount of the Alternative Cash Payments is estimated to be $50, but will be determined on a pro rata basis;

AND

1. Credit Monitoring: Twenty-four (24) months of 3-bureau credit and identity theft monitoring will be provided for those Settlement Class Members who elect and submit valid claims for such credit and identity theft monitoring.
   
   • The credit and identity theft monitoring will have the following features:
      
     1. Real time monitoring of the credit file at all three major credit bureaus;
     2. Identity theft insurance (no deductible) of $1,000,000; and 
     3. Access to fraud resolution agents to help resolve identity thefts.

The amount of the Net Settlement Fund remaining after all payments for Credit Monitoring, Compensation for Out-of-Pocket Losses are made is the Post-Loss Net Settlement Fund. The Post-Loss Net Settlement Fund will be used to make all Alternative Cash Payments. The amount of each Alternative Cash Payment shall be calculated by dividing the Post-Loss Net Settlement Fund by the number of valid claims for Alternative Cash Payments.

To receive a Settlement benefit, you must complete and submit a Claim Form here or by mail to In re AACOM Data Breach Litigation, c/o Kroll Settlement Administration LLC, P.O. Box 225391, New York, NY 10150-5391. Read the Claim Form instructions carefully, fill out the Claim Form, provide the required documentation, and submit online by March 4, 2026 or by mail postmarked by March 4, 2026.
 

TO RECEIVE AN ELECTRONIC OR ACH PAYMENT FOR YOUR VALID CLAIM, YOU MUST FILE A CLAIM FORM ONLINE ON THIS SETTLEMENT WEBSITE.

The Court will hold a Final Approval Hearing on March 25, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. ET to decide whether to approve the Settlement. If the Court approves the Settlement, there may be appeals from that decision and resolving them can take time. It also takes time for all of the Claim Forms to be processed. Please be patient. Settlement benefits will begin after the Settlement has obtained Court approval and the time for all appeals has expired.

AACOM and its affiliates will receive a release from all claims that could have been or that were brought against AACOM relating to the Data Incident. Thus, if the Settlement becomes Final and you do not exclude yourself from the Settlement, you will be a Settlement Class Member and you will give up your right to sue AACOM, and its present and former parents, subsidiaries, divisions, departments, affiliates, employees, servants, members, providers, partners, principals, directors, shareholders, owners, predecessors, successors, assigns, and insurers, and each of the foregoing’s former or present directors, trustees, officers, employees, representatives, agents, providers, consultants, advisors, attorneys, accountants, partners, vendors, customers, insurers, reinsurers, and subrogees, in its capacity as such and assigns of each of them as well as covered entities associated with the Data Incident. These Releases are described in Section XV of the Settlement Agreement, which is available on this Settlement Website. If you have any questions, you can talk to Settlement Class Counsel listed in FAQ17 for free or you can talk to your own lawyer.

No. If you exclude yourself, you will not be entitled to receive any benefits from the Settlement.

No. Unless you exclude yourself, you give up any right to sue Defendant and any other Released Persons for any claim that could have been or was brought relating to the Data Incident. You must exclude yourself from the Settlement to start your own lawsuit or to be part of any different lawsuit relating to the claims in this case. 

To exclude yourself, send an Opt-Out Request or written notice of intent to opt-out that says you want to be excluded from the Settlement. The Opt-Out Request must (a) state his or her full name, address, and telephone number; (b) contain the Settlement Class Member’s personal and original signature; and (c) state that the Settlement Class Member’s intent to be excluded from the Settlement Class and from the Settlement. An Opt-Out Request that does not have the requirements above, that is not postmarked by February 2, 2026, or that is sent to an address other than that in the Postcard Notice will be invalid, and that Settlement Class Member will remain being in the Settlement Class and as being bound by the Settlement Agreement and the release of the claims of the case. You must mail your Opt-Out Request to the Settlement Administrator postmarked by February 2, 2026, to:
 

In re AACOM Data Breach Litigation 
c/o Kroll Settlement Administration LLC
P.O. Box 225391
New York, NY 10150-5391

You can tell the Court that you do not agree with the Settlement, and/or Fees Award, Costs, and Expenses and Service Awards or some part of it by objecting to the Settlement. Objections must be filed with the Court, and mail a written Objection to Settlement Class Counsel and Defendant’s Counsel, postmarked by no later than February 2, 2026.
 

Each Objection must: 

1. include the case name and number; 
2. set forth the Settlement Class Member’s full name, current address, and telephone number; 
3. contain the Settlement Class Member’s original signature; 
4. state that the Settlement Class Member objects to the Settlement, in whole or in part; 
5. state the legal and factual basis for the Objection; and 
6. provide copies of any documents that the Settlement Class Member wishes to submit in support of his/her position.

Objecting is telling the Court that you do not like the Settlement or parts of it and why you do not think it should be approved. You can object only if you are a Settlement Class Member. Excluding yourself is telling the Court that you do not want to be part of the Settlement Class and do not want to receive any benefit from the Settlement. 

Yes. The Court appointed David K. Lietz of Milberg Coleman Bryson Phillips Grossman PLLC, Raina Borrelli of Strauss Borrelli PLLC, Leanna Loginov of Shamis & Gentile, P.A., and Leigh Montgomery of EKSM, LLP, as Settlement Class Counsel to represent the Settlement Class in Settlement negotiations. If you want to be represented by your own lawyer, you may hire one at your own expense.

Settlement Class Counsel shall request the Court to approve an award of attorneys’ fees not to exceed one third of the Settlement Fund ($233,333.33). In addition to any attorneys’ fees requested, Settlement Class Counsel shall also request reimbursement of the reasonable Costs and Expenses incurred in prosecuting the Litigation. Any such award would compensate Settlement Class Counsel for investigating the facts, litigating the case, and negotiating the Settlement and will be the only payment to them for their efforts in achieving this Settlement and for their risk in undertaking this representation on a wholly contingent basis.

Settlement Class Counsel shall request the Court to approve Service Awards of $5,000 for each of the Settlement Class Representatives, which award is intended to recognize Settlement Class Representatives for their efforts in the Litigation and commitment on behalf of the Settlement Class.

Any Fee Award, Costs, and Expenses, and Service Award payments must be approved by the Court. The Court may award less than the amounts requested. 

The Court will hold a Final Approval Hearing on March 25, 2026 at 10:00 a.m. ET, at the United States District Court, 6500 Cherrywood Lane, Greenbelt, MD 20770 as ordered by the Court. At this hearing, the Court will consider whether the Settlement is fair, reasonable, and adequate. If there are timely and valid Objections, the Court will consider them and will listen to people who have asked to speak at the hearing if such a request has been properly made. The Court will also rule on the Fee Award, Costs, and Expenses and Service Awards payments. After the hearing, the Court will decide whether to approve the Settlement. We do not know how long these decisions will take. The hearing may be moved to a different date or time without additional notice, so Settlement Class Counsel recommends checking this Settlement Website or calling (833) 630-5371.

No. Settlement Class Counsel will present the Settlement Class to the Court. You or your own lawyer are welcome to attend at your expense, but you are not required to do so. If you send an Objection, you do not have to visit the Court to talk about it. As long as you filed your written Objection on time with the Court and mailed it according to the instructions provided in FAQ 15, the Court will consider it.

You may ask the Court for permission to speak at the Final Approval Hearing. To do so, you must file an Objection according to the instructions in FAQ 15, including all the information required. Your Objection must be filed with the Court and mailed to the Settlement Class Counsel and Defendant’s Counsel, at the mailing addresses listed above, postmarked by no later than February 2, 2026.

If you do nothing, you will not receive any Settlement benefits from this Settlement. If the Settlement is granted final approval and becomes Final, you will not be able to start a lawsuit, continue with a lawsuit, or be part of any other lawsuit against Defendant or the other Released Persons based on any claim that could have been or that was brought relating to the Data Incident.

This Settlement Website summarizes the Settlement. More details are in the Settlement Agreement itself.  A copy of the Settlement Agreement is available here. You may also call the Settlement Administrator with questions or to receive a Claim Form at (833) 630-5371.

It is your responsibility to inform the Settlement Administrator of your updated information. You may do so at the address below, calling toll-free (833) 630-5371 or at the Contact page of this Settlement Website:

In re AACOM Data Breach Litigation
c/o Kroll Settlement Administration LLC
P.O. Box 225391
New York, NY 10150-5391

PLEASE DO NOT CONTACT THE COURT, CLERK OF THE COURT OR SETTLEMENT CLASS COUNSEL FOR INFORMATION ABOUT THE CLASS ACTION SETTLEMENT