Peter Gerard Lonergan, John Joseph Kotowski v. Dakota County Social Services, ...

**What Happened** Two former employees, Peter Lonergan and John Kotowski, sued Dakota County Social Services claiming their personal information and records were wrongly released without permission. They represented themselves in court and sought compensation for what they believed was a privacy violation by their former employer. **What the Court Decided** The court dismissed the case entirely and ruled in favor of Dakota County Social Services. The judge found that the employees sued the wrong entity - Dakota County Social Services wasn't actually responsible for the alleged privacy violations. The court affirmed this dismissal "with prejudice," meaning the employees cannot refile the same lawsuit again. **Why This Matters for Workers** This case highlights the importance of identifying the correct party when filing employment-related lawsuits. Workers who believe their privacy rights have been violated must carefully determine which specific organization, department, or entity was actually responsible for the violation before going to court. Suing the wrong party can result in losing the case entirely, even if a legitimate privacy violation occurred. Workers facing similar situations should consider getting legal help to ensure they target their claims correctly and don't lose their right to pursue valid complaints.