The University of Michigan has a new argument: immunity. A little over a month after the school was sued regarding the hacking scandal surrounding their football team, lawyers for the school say they are immune from all liability.
Lawyers for the University argued in their papers to the court that virtually all the claims against the school are barred by, among other defenses, immunity under the 11th Amendment of the United States Constitution.[1] The 11th amendment limits lawsuits against states and persons in federal court.[2] Here, the lawyers are arguing that since the school is a state-run university, they are considered state actors and therefore fall under the protection of the amendment.
In response to the defense, Parker Stinar, a lawyer representing one of the plaintiffs argued that the immunity defense does not protect the school in an instance such as this one, where one of its employees violated the privacy of “thousands” of student athletes.[3] “It’s not a shield for institutions that knowingly empower or fail to supervise employees who violate the trust and privacy of thousands of current and former female student athletes,” explained Stinar.[4] “The university’s attempt to sidestep accountability by hiding behind legal technicalities speaks volumes about its priorities- and none of them center student safety or justice.”[5]
In their filing to the court last Tuesday, the lawyers for the University and its Board of Regents stated that they expect to ask U.S. District Judge Mark Goldsmith to dismiss the lawsuits against the school on these grounds.[6] If he does, it will be a huge win for the school that could save them millions of dollars in damages and legal fees.
Image Credit: https://campussports.net/2025/04/25/um-lawyers-argue-immunity-from-weiss-hacking-scandal/
[1] https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/michigan/2025/04/22/um-michigan-immune-from-matt-weiss-hacking-scandal-university-lawyers-say/83217661007/
[2] Id.
[3] https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/university-of-michigan-lawyers-claim-school-is-immune-from-matt-weiss-data-breach/
[4] Id.
[5] Id.
[6] https://campussports.net/2025/04/25/um-lawyers-argue-immunity-from-weiss-hacking-scandal/
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