Lawsuit alleges the Department of Education shared confidential student data with the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE)
Representing the University of California Student Association, Student Defense and Public Citizen Litigation Group filed a lawsuit against the Department of Education for sharing confidential student data with the so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
The lawsuit alleges that on February 3, 2025, The Washington Post reported that DOGE staffers had gained access to multiple internal systems with the Department of Education, including a financial aid dataset that contains the personal information of millions of students enrolled in the federal student aid program. As a federal agency, the Department of Education is subject to the requirements of the Privacy Act of 1974, which makes the improper disclosure and misuse of sensitive personal and financial information unlawful. In addition, the Department’s records contain tax information protected by confidentiality provisions of the Internal Revenue Code.
According to the complaint, the Defendants have violated the Privacy Act, Internal Revenue Code, and Department regulations by allowing DOGE-affiliated individuals to access the Department’s data and the computer systems that house federal student financial aid information.
A copy of the lawsuit can be found by clicking the link below.