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University of Michigan lawyers claim the school can’t be sued over former coach Matt Weiss’s alleged data theft, according to the Detroit News. The university’s legal team argues they’re protected by governmental immunity in the lawsuits filed by two women whose personal information was allegedly stolen by the former co-offensive coordinator.
Weiss faces serious legal trouble — he was hit with 24 federal counts of unauthorized computer access and identity theft in March. Federal investigators say he didn’t just target a few accounts; he’s accused of downloading personal data from thousands of student-athletes (mostly women) and using that information to break into their social media and cloud storage accounts.
The women suing Michigan want answers about how their information was compromised.
Daniel Tukel and Sheldon Klein, representing Michigan, aren’t just claiming immunity. They’re also arguing there’s no evidence of any lasting damage to the women filing suit.
“There is no claim that plaintiffs have had banking, credit or other similar issues during the more than two years after Weiss was discharged and the notification letter was received,” the lawyers wrote in their filing, as reported by The Detroit News.
The 11th Amendment, they argue, limits lawsuits against federal institutions — essentially giving Michigan a legal shield in this case.
Victims’ Attorney Fires Back
Parker Stinar, who represents the women, isn’t buying Michigan’s defense.
He argues that immunity shouldn’t protect a school when one of its employees violates the privacy of “thousands” of student-athletes.
“It is 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,” Stinar wrote. “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.”
The scope of Weiss’s alleged actions is staggering.
Federal investigators seize thousands of ‘intimate images’ during probe into ex-Michigan assistant Matt Weiss.
The Justice Department’s indictment paints a disturbing picture. They claim Weiss accessed databases containing information about student-athletes at more than 100 universities — not just Michigan. The former assistant allegedly downloaded personal information on a staggering 150,000 athletes, which he then used to hack into the accounts of approximately 2,000 athletes.
This isn’t just a Michigan problem.
Weiss joined the Wolverines’ coaching staff as quarterbacks coach under Jim Harbaugh in 2021. His performance earned him a promotion to co-offensive coordinator the following season, putting him in a position of significant influence within the national championship-winning program.
The legal battle continues as both sides prepare their arguments about whether Michigan can be held accountable for the actions of its former coach.
