Part II. Other Information
Item 1. Legal Proceedings.
In the ordinary conduct of our business, we are subject to lawsuits, arbitrations and administrative proceedings from time to time. We vigorously defend these claims; however, no assurances can be given as to the outcome of any pending legal proceedings. We believe, based on currently available information, that the outcome of any existing or known threatened proceedings, even if determined adversely, should not have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, liquidity or results of operations.
On November 19, 2020, a putative securities class action lawsuit captioned Yun Chau Lee v. K12 Inc., et al was filed against us and two of our officers in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, Case No. 1:20-cv-01419 (“Lee Case”). The plaintiff purports to represent a class of persons who purchased or otherwise acquired our common stock between April 27, 2020 and September 18, 2020, inclusive, and alleges violations by us and the individual defendants of Section 10(b) of the Exchange Act, and Rule 10b-5 promulgated under the Exchange Act, and violations by the individual defendants of Section 20(a) of the Exchange Act. The complaint alleges, among other things, that we and the individual defendants made false or misleading statements and/or omitted to disclose material facts concerning our technological capabilities and expertise to support increased demand for virtual and blended education related to the global emergence of COVID-19, our cybersecurity protocols and protections, and our administrative support and training to teachers, students, and parents. The complaint seeks unspecified monetary damages and other relief. Additionally, on December 11, 2020, a second putative securities class action lawsuit captioned Jennifer Baig v. K12 Inc., et al was filed against us and the same two officers in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, Case No. 1:20-cv-01528 (“Baig Case”). The plaintiff in the Baig Case alleges violations of the same statutes, based on the same or substantially similar alleged conduct, and on behalf of the same purported class of persons as the plaintiff in the Lee Case. On December 3, 2020, the Court in the Lee Case entered an order establishing an initial case management plan and schedule for, among other things, consolidation of cases asserting substantially the same claim or claims, the appointment of a lead plaintiff and lead counsel, the filing of any amended complaint, and our and individual defendants’ anticipated motion(s) to dismiss the claims asserted against them. Subsequently, on December 21, 2020, a related derivative lawsuit captioned Larry Shemen, et al v. Aida M. Alvarez, et al was filed by two of our shareholders in the United States District Court for the District of Delaware, Case No. 1:20-cv-01731 (“Shemen Case”). The plaintiffs in the Shemen Case allege substantially the same facts alleged in the Lee and Baig Cases, and purport to assert claims on our behalf against certain of our officers and directors for breach of fiduciary duty and waste of corporate assets, and against two of our officers for contribution under Sections 10(b) and 21D of the Exchange Act based on the purported Exchange Act violations alleged in the Lee Case. We intend to defend vigorously against each and every allegation and asserted claim.
Item 1A. Risk Factors.
The risks described in “Risk Factors” in Part I, Item 1A, of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2020, as filed with the SEC on August 12, 2020, remain current in all material aspects, except as amended and supplemented by the additional risk factors below.
The failure to prevent a cybersecurity incident affecting our systems could result in the disruption of our services and the disclosure or misappropriation of sensitive information, which could harm our reputation, decrease demand for our services and products, expose us to liability, penalties, and remedial costs, or otherwise adversely affect our financial performance.
In order to provide our services and solutions, we depend on various information-technology systems, including those of third parties, to process, transmit, host and securely store electronic information, including confidential employee, customer, student, and parent information. Any information-technology systems are at risk of being compromised, whether through malicious activity or human or technological error. Although we dedicate personnel and resources toward protecting against such cybersecurity risks, our efforts may fail to prevent a security incident.
For example, on December 1, 2020, we announced a security incident involving a ransomware attack. The incident resulted in the attacker accessing certain parts of our corporate back-office systems, including some student and employee information on those systems. Based on the information currently known and our investigation to date, we do not believe the incident will have a material impact on our business, operations or financial results. However, the investigation is