Almeida Law Group is investigating a data breach at Nelson University. The breach was discovered on May 26th, 2026. If you were affected, contact Almeida Law Group.
About Nelson University
Nelson University is a private Christian university affiliated with the Assemblies of God, located at 1200 Sycamore St., Waxahachie, Texas, approximately 30 miles south of Dallas. Formerly known as Southwestern Assemblies of God University (SAGU), the school adopted its current name on August 1st, 2024. It enrolls approximately 2,012 students and offers associate, bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees across liberal arts, Bible, and church ministry programs.
What Happened?
Nelson University was listed in a California Attorney General sample breach notice. The breach occurred on March 21st, 2025, and the filing was reported to the California Attorney General on June 15th, 2026 — roughly 15 months after the breach date. The notice offered credit monitoring and included instructions for placing security freezes and fraud alerts. The specific data types exposed were not enumerated in the accessible portion of the breach notice, likely because that detail appeared in a redacted or personalized section of the letter.
The Qilin ransomware group has been linked to this incident by multiple threat intelligence sources. RedPacket Security and Breachsense both reported the attack was discovered in mid-April 2025 — approximately April 16th to April 18th, 2025 — and that the compromised data includes a significant volume of personal records belonging to employees and students. The threat actors reportedly set a ransom payment deadline and threatened to publish the data publicly. No class action lawsuits specifically connected to this breach have been identified.
Key Facts at a Glance
- Company or Organization: Nelson University
- Industry: Higher Education (Private Christian University)
- Location: 1200 Sycamore St., Waxahachie, TX 75165
- Incident type: Ransomware attack (Qilin)
- Date of breach: March 21st, 2025
- Date breach discovered: Approximately April 16th–18th, 2025
- Date of consumer notification: June 15th, 2026
- Identity theft protection offered: Yes (credit monitoring)
- Litigation status: No class action litigation identified
- Source: California Attorney General sample breach notice (https://oag.ca.gov/ecrime/databreach/reports/sb24-624948); Breachsense (https://www.breachsense.com/breaches/nelson-university-data-breach/); RedPacket Security (https://www.redpacketsecurity.com/qilin-ransomware-victim-www-nelson-edu/)
What Should You Do?
If you received a notice from Nelson University, enroll in the credit monitoring service offered before any stated deadline. You should also consider placing a fraud alert or security freeze with the three major credit bureaus — Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion — to make it harder for anyone to open new accounts in your name. You can request free credit reports at AnnualCreditReport.com and review them carefully for any accounts you did not open or unauthorized inquiries. Check your accounts regularly for suspicious activity. If you spot something wrong, file a report with your local law enforcement and the Federal Trade Commission at IdentityTheft.gov, which can also walk you through a personalized recovery plan.
Your Legal Rights
If your personal information was involved in this breach, you may have legal rights depending on the facts of the incident and the law in your state. Almeida Law Group represents consumers in data breach and privacy litigation and can help you evaluate whether you may have a claim. Contact us at (708) 529-5418 or through our contact page for a free case evaluation.
