Family of Stanford goalie who took her own life sue college for pursuing disciplinary measures

The family of a standout goalkeeper at Stanford University sued the school after the student’s suicide in March, claiming the school should be held responsible for her death.

Katie Meyer, 22, took her own life in February after receiving a disciplinary letter from the university following an incident in August 2021 in which she allegedly spilled coffee on another student-athlete.

The student, a football player from the school whose identity has not been released, was accused of sexually assaulting one of her teammates, who was a minor at the time.

The lawsuit, filed by Steven and Gina Meyer Wednesday, alleges that Stanford “negligently and recklessly” sent her the formal disciplinary notice on the night of her death without properly vetting the 2021 encounter.

It further stated that the warning contained “threatening language regarding sanctions and even ‘expulsion from college’, sending the star goalie into a deteriorating state of mind that would eventually destroy her life.”

It is currently unclear whether Meyer spilled the coffee on the footballer on purpose. She was reportedly riding her bike when she allegedly spilled the drink, the suit says, claiming it was an accident

The lawsuit alleges that the use of “heavy legal jargon and menacing language” caused their daughter to have “an acute stress reaction that impulsively led to her suicide.”

The filing contains claims of wrongful death, intentional infliction of emotional distress and six other charges.

Meyer, the team’s former captain and a 2019 champion, died in March this year, and the coroner later ruled her death a suicide.

At that time, the senior of the university had a knee surgery, and had plans to go to law school after graduation.

According to the lawsuit — which names the university, its board of trustees, deans and general advisers — the school’s letter threatened those plans, putting pressure on the football star.

It also revealed that the school never took any disciplinary action against the football star due to lack of evidence. Instead, it states, the legendary university turned on their daughter, seemingly to quell the burgeoning situation.

Attorney Kim Dougherty wrote in a statement accompanying Wednesday’s filing that Meyer’s death was the direct product of “Stanford’s egregious and reckless mishandling of his disciplinary process.”

“Stanford has known for years that its disciplinary process is, in the words of its own Committee 10, “overly punitive” and harmful to its students,” Dougherty wrote, “but the school and its administrators have done nothing to correct its procedures. ‘

“Through this lawsuit, we will not only get justice for Katie, but also ensure that necessary changes are made to protect Stanford students and provide safeguards when students need support.”

The lawsuit focuses on how on the night of Feb. 28, more than six months after the coffee spill incident, Meyer received notice from the school that she would face a disciplinary hearing to potentially face punishment for her actions.

Meyer immediately responded to the email, noting that she was “shocked and distraught” by the letter.

According to her parents’ complaint, the school responded by setting up a counseling session three days later.

By then, however, it was too late for the teen – and she was found dead in her dorm room the day after leaving what her parents said was damning correspondence.

The filing further alleges that Meyer received the message around 7 p.m. the night she died, when on-campus counseling had already closed for the evening.

In her response, minutes after having a Facetime conversation with her parents, she allegedly told the school that she had “experienced fear during the disciplinary process,” which had been going on for more than half a year at that point.

She said she had “feared for months that my clumsiness will ruin my chances of leaving Stanford in a good way,” and that a grade on her record would hurt her chances of a career in law.

Steven and Gina claim the school “ignored” their daughter’s distress during the seven-month disciplinary process and “made no attempt whatsoever to check on Katie’s well-being, whether through a simple phone call or a personal well-being check.”

The school’s assistant vice president of external communications, Dee Mostofi, meanwhile, said staff responded to her email “within an hour” and that she was “offered and chosen several available times.”[n] one three days later, despite the availability of an earlier appointment.’

He also said the school contacted Meyer “several days” before sending her the letter, to give her enough time to send additional information for consideration. Mostofi said the student-athlete would never respond to that request.

The filing alleges that Stanford was also “selectively determined not to enforce any formal discipline on the footballer,” noting how he was allowed to play all season without any real consequence.

It revealed the player, did not file a complaint with Stanford’s community standards office about the incident, and reportedly sought to quash the disciplinary process and “make amends” with Meyer.

The lawyers for the Meyers also wrote that the footballer, who remains unknown, “did not want any punishment that would affect her life.”

Instead, the formal complaint was filed by dean Lisa Caldera shortly after she called Meyer for a formal meeting several days after the coffee spill incident.

During the sitdown, Meyer reportedly told the dean the incident was an accident, the lawsuit says. Nevertheless, the school took disciplinary action, despite the fact that it would not even be supported by the victim of the incident.

After the meeting, Caldera filed the complaint with OCS, and Meyer received a letter last September saying it had been filed.

Her parents claim that their daughter’s mental state would worsen in the following months, to the point where she became suicidal.

The lawsuit also mentioned how the deputy dean of the school, who was also named in the lawsuit, warned the student in the first disciplinary letter to “that this is an inherently stressful process.’

In November last year, Meyer sent a formal statement to school staff about the allegations, saying she had been “stressed out for months” and was “terrified that an accident” would destroy her future.

According to the lawsuit, Meyer had met with sports psychologists at the time to discuss her increasing anxiety and depressive symptoms.

The lawsuit states that after sending that email, Meyer would not contact the OCS office until Feb. 25.

Speaking to USA Sports, the unknown soccer player said he “doesn’t believe the university is responsible for her death.

He said the “Stanford community continues to mourn Katie’s tragic death.”

If you or a loved one is experiencing suicidal thoughts or actions, contact the National Suicide Hotline at 988.