Judge throws out lawsuit against Columbus over data breach

On 2 October 2025 a Franklin County judge dismissed a lawsuit against the city of Columbus over a data breach, according to Fox28. The case was brought after the ransomware group Rhysida claimed it stole over 6 terabytes of city data and posted it for sale, prompting the city to shut down multiple systems and take months to bring some back online.

Five of the plaintiffs filing under John Doe pseudonyms are city employees, including an undercover police officer and a firefighter, with a sixth plaintiff described as a resident. They alleged unauthorized purchases were made, fraudulent bank accounts opened, and emails threatening ransom or data exposure were sent. The article notes that the whistleblower who tried to inform the public about the breach was sued by the city, which is described as giving a free pass from civil lawsuits under state law.