Detention is probably not going to cut it this time around. According to the Chicago Sun-Times, a former Chicago Public Schools contractor named Kristi Sims stands accused of stealing data pertaining to 80,000 employees, volunteers and vendors from a school database.

The case illustrates the complexity of the client/vendor relationship, specifically when it comes to accountability following the exposure of personal data. Determining where the liability may fall could depend as much on pre-existing contracts as it does any kind of state law.