A former Panera Bread employee, Gracelyn Donovan, has filed a class action lawsuit against the company alleging negligence related to a data breach that occurred in March. Donovan claims that Panera failed to secure sensitive employee information, including Social Security numbers and financial details, which was exposed to cybercriminals. She estimates that tens of thousands of people have been affected by this breach.
Donovan’s lawsuit, filed in Missouri federal court, accuses Panera of being “reckless” with the security of employee data. She asserts that the company did not take adequate measures to protect its servers or encrypt sensitive information, leading to the data being compromised. The lawsuit also highlights that Panera was negligent in notifying victims of the breach in a timely manner, delaying the process and preventing individuals from securing their information sooner.
The class action seeks to represent all individuals whose personally identifiable information was exposed in the breach. Donovan is requesting certification of the class action, damages, legal fees, and a jury trial. Additionally, she is seeking an injunction to compel Panera to enhance its data security practices to prevent future incidents.
In related news, Panera recently announced it would discontinue its Charged Lemonade drink amid wrongful death lawsuits, though the company has not confirmed if this decision is connected to the legal issues surrounding the drink.
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