RUTHERFORD COUNTY, TN - As previously reported, the Rutherford County Schools faced a significant network and systems disruption on November 25, 2024. Since then, efforts to resolve the issues have made substantial progress. On December 11, the district announced via social media, “Our teams have worked diligently to restore those services, and most are back to full functionality using our backup and recovery procedures.”

In the wake of the initial disruption, James Evans, the Chief Communications Officer for the schools, stated to WGNS, “We promptly launched an investigation into the nature and scope of the event.” The school district later revealed that they are collaborating with national cybersecurity experts and law enforcement to comprehensively investigate the incident, which remains ongoing.

About one week ago, the school system also received information indicating that an individual believed to be responsible for the disruption had made an online post claiming possession of certain employee personal data. The district says they are taking this claim seriously. Should any employee personal information be confirmed as affected, the district has committed to notifying those individuals in accordance with applicable laws. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation is aiding in the inquiry into the online threats and continued disruptions faced by the school district.

Despite the unsettling claims regarding employee information, school officials continue to reassure the community that student data has not been compromised. “To our knowledge, there has been no posting of student personal data, and our investigation to date has not found that student personal data has been obtained from our student information systems,” the district confirmed.

As the investigation unfolds, the Rutherford County Schools are maintaining a cautious stance and providing limited information about the situation, emphasizing the ongoing nature of the inquiry.

As the semester wraps up, the school district continues its operations normally, dedicated to the education of its students. The winter break is set to commence on Friday, December 20, with an abbreviated two-hour school day, leading to the winter recess officially beginning on December 23, 2024. Students will return to their classrooms on Wednesday, January 8, 2025.