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juan thai
Stanford and the family of former star soccer goalkeeper and two-time team captain Katie Meyer, who died by suicide in 2022, reached a settlement wrongful death lawsuit filed against the university, both parties announced Monday.
At the time of his death, the 22-year-old Meyer was facing disciplinary action for allegedly spilling coffee on a Stanford football player who was accused of sexually assaulting a female football player. Meyer’s father said his daughter was defending her teammate, who was a minor at the time.
The lawsuit, filed in November 2022, says that, on the night of his death, Stanford “negligently and recklessly” sent him a formal disciplinary notice that included “threatening language regarding sanctions and possible ‘expulsion from the University.’
A Stanford spokesperson at the time denied the lawsuit’s claims that the university was responsible for his death.
In a joint statement on Monday, the school and Meyer’s family announced that Stanford will create a Katie Meyer Leadership Award that “will be given each year to an exceptional Stanford student-athlete.” The statement, which made no mention of any monetary settlement, said Meyer’s jersey “will be retired to honor Katie’s impact on Stanford women’s soccer.”
The university also announced that it would “adopt the principles of Katie Meyer’s Law to provide assistance to students” who are facing the school’s disciplinary process.
The law was passed by the California legislature and signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom in 2024 in Meyer’s honor. Mandates that any California college or university receiving public funds for financial aid have a designated advisor during disciplinary proceedings.
Additionally, the joint statement said, Stanford and the Meyer families agreed to “collaborate to launch an initiative focused on the mental health and well-being of student-athletes.”
ESPN released a documentary on Meyer’s story last year titled “Save: The Katie Meyer Story.”
