Consumer complaint received 2025-08-25 00:00:00
Product: Credit reporting or other personal consumer reports — Credit reporting
Issue: Credit monitoring or identity theft protection services — Billing dispute for services
Company: EQUIFAX, INC.
State: AL

Complaint narrative:
Subject : Formal FERPA Complaint and Request for Student Loan Discharge Due to Unauthorized Disclosure of Personal and Financial Information To Whom It May Concern, I am writing to formally dispute the unauthorized access and disclosure of my personal and financial information contained within the student loan database. This breach constitutes a direct violation of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act ( FERPA ), which mandates strict confidentiality of student education records, including personally identifiable information ( PII ) such as Social Security numbers and financial data. 

FERPA, codified at 20 U.S.C. 1232g and 34 CFR Part 99, prohibits the release of education records without the written consent of the student, except under narrowly defined exceptions. None of these exceptions apply to the unauthorized access by XXXX XXXX XXXX or any affiliated entity, as there is no demonstrable educational interest or legal justification for such access. 

Legal Basis and Case Law In XXXX XXXX  XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, the XXXX XXXX for the XXXX XXXX of Tennessee acknowledged the primacy of FERPA protections over conflicting federal regulations, emphasizing that unauthorized disclosures of student records can result in loss of federal funding and other penalties.

Additionally, the U.S. Department of Educations Student Privacy Policy Office ( SPPO ) has enforced FERPA violations by imposing multi-year bans on data sharing with offending parties, as illustrated in Case Study # 3. This precedent demonstrates the seriousness with which FERPA violations are treated and the potential for institutional accountability. 

My Requests Given the severity of this breach and its implications for my privacy and financial security, I respectfully request the following actions : Immediate and Thorough Investigation A full inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the unauthorized disclosure, including : Identification of the individual ( s ) or entity who authorized access Legal basis ( if any ) for the disclosure Intended use of the disclosed data Immediate Cancellation and Discharge of Student Loan Debt In light of the FERPA violation and the resulting compromise of my financial identity, I request full discharge of my student loan obligations. While FERPA does not explicitly provide for loan cancellation, the breach of trust and exposure of sensitive data warrants extraordinary relief. 

Notification and Remediation Measures Written confirmation of the breach and its scope Steps taken to prevent future violations Student loan discharged due to data breach Delete accounts from credit reports Conclusion This breach has caused significant distress and exposed me to financial harm. I expect swift action to address this violation and If this matter is not resolved promptly, I reserve the right to escalate my complaint to the U.S. Department of Education and pursue legal remedies. 

Sincerely, XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX

Company response to consumer: Closed with non-monetary relief