ANN ARBOR, Mich. – More student-athletes are joining the class-action lawsuit against the University of Michigan and former Michigan Wolverines assistant football coach Matt Weiss.
Local 4 heard from the first plaintiff, who’s not listed as a Jane Doe, and she is using her name to speak out about what happened.
Mckenzie Johnson, a former Grambling State softball player from 2015-2019, is among 42 student-athletes in the class action suit, accusing Weiss of hacking into accounts to steal private images.
Johnson hopes that putting her name on the lawsuit will encourage others to come forward.
She’s one of many of the likely listed in this lawsuit who are choosing to remain anonymous, but not this young lady you’re about to hear from.
“I don’t understand how something,” said Johnson.
Johnson’s private data was supposedly stolen alongside thousands across hundreds of universities.
“My email and personal social media accounts were compromised,” Johnson said. “I am very anxious about what will come from this and what personal information that he has stolen from me.”
The newly filed suit is going after Weiss and the University of Michigan Regents and Keffer Development Services, the company behind the athletic trainee system.
“Their property has been stolen from them, and they’re terrified about it, and they want answers,” said class action attorney Jon Marko.
In total, there are now 62 student-athletes listed as plaintiffs across several universities, including the University of Michigan and several other universities outside the state.
“I don’t know what is coming out of this or what is going to be exposed,” Johnson said.
Meanwhile, Weiss will be back in federal court facing those criminal charges—14 counts of unauthorized access to computers and 10 counts of aggravated identity theft.
However, attorney Marko believes more victims will be coming forward.
“To think, this is just the tip of the iceberg as there’s going to be more—we have more even today that we’re going to be amending and filing a third amendment complaint on behalf of these individuals,” Marko said.
We tried reaching out to the University of Michigan’s Board of Regents. But we haven’t heard back at this time.
However, we did get something from one of the University of Michigan’s directors of public affairs.
"Upon learning of potentially concerning activity in its systems, the university promptly placed Mr. Weiss on leave, forwarded this matter to law enforcement authorities, and moved forward with Mr. Weiss’ termination on Jan. 21, 2023."
kay javis, University of Michigan Director of Public Affairs
Matt Weiss federally charged
The suit, filed on Thursday (April 10), stems from the illegal access and exploitation of the students’ personal information.
Federal prosecutors recently charged Weiss with unlawfully accessing the social media and computer accounts of more than 3,300 individuals.
Weiss is accused of specifically targeting female students in an attempt to obtain intimate photos and videos without their knowledge or consent.
Court documents revealed Weiss allegedly hacked into databases managed by Keffer Development Services, downloading personally identifiable and medical information of over 150,000 athletes across more than 100 colleges and universities.
Weiss then allegedly gained access to social media, email, and cloud storage accounts of more than 1,300 students nationwide.
Lantzy and attorney Sarah L. Gorski represent the plaintiffs.
The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, brings claims under the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, the Stored Communications Act, and Title IX.
It also alleges violations of civil rights, negligent hiring and supervision, invasion of privacy, gross negligence, trespass to chattels, and multiple violations of Michigan law, including assault, intentional infliction of emotional distress, and the Michigan Identity Theft Protection Act.
Buckfire Law is actively investigating additional claims involving students whose personal information may have been illegally accessed by Weiss.
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NFL/Wolverines
Weiss is accused of obtaining sensitive information about college students in a pattern that reportedly began during his tenure with the Baltimore Ravens in 2015.
While working for the Ravens in 2015, Weiss allegedly downloaded the personally identifiable information and medical data of more than 150,000 athletes.
This included intimate digital photographs and videos never intended to be shared beyond intimate partners.
A 52-page civil suit has also been filed against Weiss, U of M, its Regents, and Keffer Development Services—also known as The Athletic Trainer System—which Weiss allegedly used.
The alleged misconduct continued throughout his employment with the Ravens until 2020, when he signed with the Wolverines football program.
Weiss coached at the U of M from 2020 to 2023 and was charged on March 20 in the 24-count indictment that alleges 14 counts of unauthorized access to computers and 10 counts of aggravated identity theft.
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The Ravens have not responded to requests for comment regarding Weiss, whose investigation and subsequent indictment occurred after his time with the team.
Weiss was away from the team and had not been on the recruiting trail for the Wolverines back in December 2022.
During the initial investigation, Weiss’ neighbors said many unmarked cars were found outside the co-offensive coordinator’s Ann Arbor home.
The initial search was believed to be tied to the University of Michigan police investigation.
Following the investigation in January 2023, Weiss secured contract work with two NFL franchises.
He began working with the Cleveland Browns in 2023 and joined the Seattle Seahawks in 2024.
According to the Browns, Weiss was never present in the building but completed some “one-off” advance projects before leaving for the Seahawks.
The NFL has not responded to inquiries about two teams’ decisions to utilize Weiss’ services after the investigation that led to his indictment began last week.
However, former Wolverines and current Los Angeles Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh addressed the computer hacking allegations against former NFL and Michigan assistant Weiss.
Harbaugh spoke to reporters at the NFL owners meetings on March 31, stating he was unaware of the allegations until after Weiss coached his final game with the Wolverines in the 2022 college football playoffs.
On Wednesday (April 2), more women said they were suing Weiss and the University of Michigan.
The lawsuit, which included former student-athletes from U-M, was filed on April 2, 2025.
With the filing, the total number of women suing Weiss and the university has reached 17.
They’re claiming Weiss illegally accessed their personal data, and the university didn’t do enough to protect them.
Weiss is facing serious charges for allegedly downloading personal data from thousands of students, including intimate photos and videos.
