Stanford University settles lawsuit after star soccer captain took her own life
Warning: This article contains discussion of suicide which some readers may find distressing.
Stanford University has settled a lawsuit with the family of Katie Meyer following the college student's suicide in March 2022.
Katie took her own life the day after receiving a disciplinary email from the university about an alleged incident involving her spilling a coffee on a football player who was accused of sexually assaulting a women's soccer player.
Reportedly, Katie was defending her teammate, who was a minor, Katie's father said.
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The avid soccer player received the email around 7pm on February 28, 2022. According to her parents, the email Katie received meant that her degree was to be put on hold until the matter was resolved and she was due to graduate just months later.
The late-night email also said Katie, who was the soccer captain, faced potential expulsion, according the lawsuit.
The email and disciplinary is said to have caused Katie acute stress which her parents argued contributed towards her decision to take her own life.
They filed a lawsuit against Stanford University with these allegations in November 2022 and said that the establishment did not provide Katie, 22, with the adequate support.
The university has denied that it had any involvement in Katie's death but has now reached an agreement with the Meyer family.
In a statement on Monday (January 26), the university said: "Stanford and the family of Katie Meyer are pleased to have reached a resolution in the lawsuit that was filed against the university following Katie’s tragic death in 2022.
"To honor Katie, Stanford will collaborate with Katie’s family to launch an initiative focused on the mental health and well-being of student-athletes at the Wu Tsai Human Performance Alliance. Stanford Athletics will establish the Katie Meyer Leadership Award to be given to an exceptional Stanford student-athlete each year.
"More information on both the initiative at Wu Tsai and the Leadership Award will be provided later this year."
It continued: "In addition, Stanford will adopt the principles of Katie Meyer’s Law to provide support to students in its OCS disciplinary process. The number worn by Katie while she played soccer at Stanford, #19, will be retired in honor of the impact Katie had on Stanford women’s soccer.
"While Katie’s passing remains devastating and tragic, the memory of her accomplishments and the uplifting influence she had on those who knew her lives on. Stanford and the Meyer family believe that working together on these initiatives will both honor Katie’s indelible legacy and help current and future students in meaningful ways."
Katie Meyer's Law was signed into law Assembly Bill 1575 by Governor Gavin Newsom in September 2024. It requires any California college or university receiving public funding or financial aid to have a designated adviser during disciplinary proceedings.
If you or someone you know is struggling or in a mental health crisis, help is available through Mental Health America. Call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org. You can also reach the Crisis Text Line by texting MHA to 741741.
If you or someone you know needs mental health assistance right now, call National Suicide Prevention Helpline on 1-800-273-TALK (8255). The Helpline is a free, confidential crisis hotline that is available to everyone 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Topics: Mental Health, News, US News, Education
Niamh Shackleton