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Stanford goalie Katie Meyer was ‘facing disciplinary action' for spilling coffee on a player before suicide

The parents of Katie Meyer, the former Stanford football goalkeeper who killed herself in February at the age of 21, have sued the university for wrongful death

If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please contact the National Suicide Hotline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).

STANFORD, CALIFORNIA: Standout goalkeeper at Stanford University Katie Meyer who was facing disciplinary action before she tragically took her own life was threatened with removal from the university, claim her parents. Steve and Gina Meyer have sued the university alleging they are responsible for their child's death. 

Katie Meyer, 22, who served as the captain of the Stanford women’s soccer team was handed a disciplinary letter following an August 2021 incident. At the time, Katie was riding her bike in the summer when she apparently spilled coffee on a Stanford football player, who allegedly sexually assaulted a female soccer player, a minor at the time, according to the lawsuit, USA Today Sports reported. After receiving the notice, the aspiring soccer goalie took her life on March 1, 2022, just months away from her graduation.

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The lawsuit, filed by the parents Wednesday, states that on the night of her death, Stanford "negligently and recklessly" sent her the formal disciplinary notice and declared that the warning "contained threatening language regarding sanctions and even removal from the university," which put the star goalie in a deteriorating state of mind contributing to her suicide. The lawsuit claims wrongful death, intentional infliction of emotional distress, and six other allegations. 

Meyer received the notice after 7.pm, after the campus counseling resources had already been closed, and noted that Meyer “immediately responded to the email expressing how ‘shocked and distraught’ she was over being charged and threatened with removal from the university,” per the complaint. Despite her distressing response, the university made "no effort whatsoever to check on Katie’s well-being, either by a simple phone call or in-person welfare check," and instead "ignored it and scheduled a meeting for 3 days later via email,” claims New York Post.

“The Stanford community continues to grieve Katie’s tragic death and we sympathize with her family for the unimaginable pain that Katie’s passing has caused them,” Mostofi said in an email to USA Today. “However, we strongly disagree with any assertion that the university is responsible for her death.” Star player Meyer helped Stanford capture the 2019 NCAA women’s soccer championship.  Per the suit, the school letter was open on her computer screen at the time of her death. The suit also seeks damages for the family's trauma.