I am working at a German University on similar systems. I have some thoughts here:
1. The thing you are doing, could provide major value to the university and you did it for free.
2. The fact that you could simply just access that data is a major fuckup on their part that is inexcusable. In my eyes the perdon who walks through an open door is not at fault, the one who left it open is.
If they expell you for that, they do not deserve you.
The first quesrion you should figure out is on whose feet you stepped and why they are butthurt. Simultaneously try to get legal advice and the social/political support of your collegues. If you have a big number of students complaining to the higher ups why your cool service is gone and give them the feeling it is needed, you might even get a cool collab out of that.
Without knowing the details of how US academia operates I would try to maintain a positive angle (you want to help making the university life better), while in privage preparing for the worst.
1. The thing you are doing, could provide major value to the university and you did it for free.
2. The fact that you could simply just access that data is a major fuckup on their part that is inexcusable. In my eyes the perdon who walks through an open door is not at fault, the one who left it open is.
If they expell you for that, they do not deserve you.
The first quesrion you should figure out is on whose feet you stepped and why they are butthurt. Simultaneously try to get legal advice and the social/political support of your collegues. If you have a big number of students complaining to the higher ups why your cool service is gone and give them the feeling it is needed, you might even get a cool collab out of that.
Without knowing the details of how US academia operates I would try to maintain a positive angle (you want to help making the university life better), while in privage preparing for the worst.