Fowler Elementary School Data Breach Class Action Investigation
Chimicles Schwartz Kriner & Donaldson-Smith is investigating potential class action claims against Fowler Elementary School District 45 (“Fowler”) regarding a recent data security incident that may have exposed the sensitive personal, financial, and medical information of an unknown number of students and staff.
According to public reports and a breach notification filed with the Office of the Vermont Attorney General, a third-party threat actor conducted a ransomware attack on Fowler’s network and accessed approximately 400 gigabytes of data that included highly confidential information about Fowler’s students and staff.
What Happened at Fowler?
On May 3, 2025, the “Interlock” ransomware group announced in a blog post that it had extracted 400 gigabytes of data from Fowler’s network. The group conducted the attack through social engineering targeted at a Fowler contractor. After learning of the incident, Fowler retained a third-party forensics firm to investigate. Fowler began to notify affected individuals on November 18, 2025.
What Information Was Compromised?
The compromised data may include, but is not limited to, the following:
- Full names of students and staff
- Dates of birth
- Addresses
- Social Security numbers
- Medical records
- Insurance information
- Payroll data
- Administrative documents
- Student ID numbers
- Guardian names
Why Is This Important?
The exposure of this highly sensitive information places affected individuals at a significantly increased risk of identity theft, financial fraud, and other related harms. The theft of Social Security numbers is particularly severe, as this data can be exploited by criminals for years to come.
What Should You Do?
If you received a notification from Fowler and believe your information was compromised, please contact one of our data breach attorneys by filling out the form below to learn more about your legal rights.
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