School District Five of Lexington & Richland Counties will host a Virtual Town Hall on Tuesday, August 26, from 6 to 7 p.m. to update families and staff on the district’s recent data security incident.
Superintendent Dr. Akil E. Ross, Sr. will lead the discussion alongside Jack Jupin, a security expert and former FBI supervisor who now leads Jupin International, a security consulting firm. The session will provide the latest information on the breach, as well as steps the district is taking to protect current and former students and staff.
Community members are invited to submit questions in advance by emailing [email protected]. The event will be recorded and posted to the district’s website for those unable to attend live. Registration is available at https://tinyurl.com/5bu54dd6.
In a recent letter to families, Dr. Ross confirmed that information belonging to some former students—such as names, dates of birth, addresses, and some Social Security numbers—was posted online. Impacted individuals are being contacted directly and offered credit monitoring and identity theft protection. Out of caution, the same protection is being extended to all current staff.
The district is working with local, state, and federal authorities, as well as independent experts, to investigate the breach. Officials stress that community members should remain vigilant by monitoring financial accounts and credit reports, using multifactor authentication, and updating passwords regularly.
Additional resources, including a FAQ sheet, are available on the district’s website under the “Resources” tab: https://www.lexrich5.org/resources/data-security-incident-information
