J. Gerard Stranch IV, founding and managing member of Stranch, Jennings & Garvey, PLLC (SJ&G), was appointed interim co-lead counsel for the Weiss Litigation (data breach case), which consolidates eight cases resulting from alleged actions by former University of Michigan quarterbacks coach and co-offensive coordinator Matt Weiss.
Weiss was fired in January 2023 during an investigation of alleged computer access crimes. In March 2023, Weiss was indicted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of Michigan, on charges of unauthorized access to computers and aggravated identity theft. A jury trial is scheduled for November 2025.
According to the indictment, from 2015 until his dismissal from the university, Weiss gained unauthorized access to student athlete databases of more than 100 colleges and universities that were maintained by Keffer Development Services, a third-party vendor that maintains athletic trainer services used by the University of Michigan.
He allegedly downloaded the personally identifiable information and medical data of more than 150,000 athletes. Using the information that he reportedly obtained from the student athlete databases and his internet research, Weiss was able to obtain access to social media, email and/or cloud storage accounts of more than 2,000 athletes.
Weiss is also accused of illegally obtaining access to social media, email and/or cloud storage accounts of more than 1,300 additional students and/or alumni from universities across the country, then downloading personal, intimate digital photographs and videos that were never intended to be shared beyond intimate partners.
“Weiss targeted women in his unwanted invasions of privacy, and the university and regents acted with deliberate indifference to sexual harassment,” Stranch said. “They failed to protect the plaintiffs and other students, adequately investigate and address their complaints, and institute corrective measures to prevent Weiss from sexually harassing students.”
As a result of these alleged actions, lawsuits were filed against Weiss, Keffer Development Services, LLC and the University of Michigan and its Board of Regents.
Filed in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan (Southern Division), the cases include:
- 25-10806, Doe 1 et al v. Weiss et al.
- 25-10855, Doe I et al v. Weiss et al.
- 25-10870, Roe CLF 001 v. Weiss et al.
- 25-10876, Doe v. University of Michigan Board of Regents et al.
- 25-10951, Doe v. Board of Regents of the University of Michigan et al.
- 25-10946, Doe 1 et al v. The Regents of The University of Michigan et al.
- 25-10988, Doe v. Weiss et al.
- 25-10999, Doe v. Board of Regents of the University of Michigan et al.
Case No. 25-cv-10806 has been designated as the lead case, now referred to as the Weiss Litigation, with all other cases administratively closed.
Allegations against the defendants include violations of the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, the Stored Communications Act and Title IX, along with violations of civil rights, invasion of privacy, negligent hiring and supervision, gross negligence and trespass to chattels. Plaintiffs also allege multiple violations of Michigan law, including the Michigan Identity Theft Protection Act.
“The university’s lack of response was clearly unreasonable in light of the circumstances,” Stranch said. “The plaintiffs entrusted the university and its regents to ensure methods had been taken to secure, safeguard and protect against unauthorized access to their private information, and Keffer was entrusted to keep that information private. The law is clear that the university is vicariously liable for Weiss’s actions because they were conducted in furtherance of his role as a university employee.”
A jury trial for the defendant is scheduled for Nov. 4, 2025, before the Honorable Nancy Edmunds, United States District Court in Detroit, Michigan.