Boone County Completes Investigation into Employee Data Disclosure
(LEBANON, IN – Friday, August 7, 2026) Boone County has completed an internal investigation into the recent disclosure of personal information involving 290 Boone County employees.
The investigation found that in May 2026, the Indiana Department of Child Services (DCS) initiated its annual audit of the County’s financial records by contacting Boone County Auditor Debbie Crum. As part of the audit, DCS requested documentation related to certain employees whose work involves child support services.
After an initial report was emailed by Crum that did not contain the requested information, a DCS employee sent a follow-up email identifying to Crum the 12 specific employees whose records were needed for the audit.
In response, Auditor Crum requested the Boone County Human Resources Department provide her a report of all employees enrolled in the County’s long-term disability plan. The request did not include the context or purpose of the request. HR generated the requested report and placed it on the County’s secured network drive for retrieval by the Auditor’s Office.
On June 30, Auditor Crum retrieved the report and emailed it to two DCS employees—without opening or reading the report first. Rather than containing information limited to the 12 employees identified by DCS, the report included personal information for all 290 employees enrolled in the County’s long-term disability plan, including names and Social Security numbers.
Approximately three weeks later, one of the DCS employees forwarded the email to four Boone County employees and two county vendors for reasons that remain unknown. Boone County officials discovered the disclosure at this point.
Boone County recognizes the seriousness of any unauthorized disclosure involving employees’ personal information. Protecting confidential information is a fundamental responsibility, and County officials regret that this incident occurred.
The County has reviewed the circumstances surrounding the disclosure and is implementing additional safeguards to strengthen internal procedures governing the handling and transmission of sensitive employee information. All affected employees have been notified. The County is also taking measures to support those employees with resources to help protect their personal information, including credit monitoring and identity protection services.
“County employees have every right to expect that their personal information will be handled with care, accuracy and accountability, and shared only when necessary,” said Boone County Commission President Tim Beyer. “Our investigation found that substantially more information than was requested was disclosed. We are committed to strengthening our procedures, supporting our employees, and taking appropriate action to ensure an incident like this does not happen again.”
“County employees deserve full confidence that their personal information is handled responsibly. The Council is committed to supporting affected employees while carefully reviewing the findings of this investigation and considering any actions necessary to protect the integrity of county government,” said Boone County Council President Jennifer Hostetter.
Boone County will continue working with legal counsel and other appropriate parties to address this matter, support affected employees, and improve procedures for responding to requests involving confidential information.
Additional updates will be provided as appropriate.
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