It is with great sadness that we learned of the death of Katie Meyer, a Stanford student and soccer player who passed away on Tuesday at the age of 22. Meyer was a stand-out athlete and student, and her loss will be felt by many.
The cause of death has been confirmed as suicide by the Santa Clara Medical Examiner-Coroner. In a statement, the office said, “There is no indication of foul play, and Meyer’s death was determined to be self-inflicted.” No further details have been released.
Meyer was an exemplary student and athlete, and her loss is a tragedy. Our thoughts are with her family and friends during this difficult time.
Meyer was discovered dead at her dorm on March 1 and a death investigation was started, according to a news release from Sheriff Laura Smith. In accordance with the press release, “Sheriff’s Deputies responded to a dormitory on Stanford University’s campus on March 1, 2022, at about 11:33 a.m. for a report of a death investigation.”
Deputies arrived and were greeted by the Palo Alto Fire Department and the Stanford Department of Public Safety, who had already arrived at the location.
One unconscious female student was discovered inside the dormitory, the Palo Alto Fire Department informed the authorities. The Palo Alto Fire Department declared the subject dead at around 10:45 a.m.
The day after Katie’s suicide, her parents Gina and Steve Meyer gave their first television appearance to “Today,” discussing the possible triggers.
Meyer’s parents claim that she was concerned about receiving punishment from Stanford for “standing up for a teammate on campus over an incident.”
Gina asserted that over the past few months, Katie had been receiving letters regarding potential punishment. “This letter was kind of the last letter that there would be a trial or some sort of something,” she remarked. The only thing we can think of that could have caused something is this.”
The Family filed a lawsuit against Stanford University
Katie Meyer, the star soccer goalie for Stanford University, tragically took her own life. Now, her family is seeking justice through a wrongful death lawsuit against the university.
The suit alleges that Stanford is at fault for Katie’s death, citing a discipline notice that was delivered to her on the night she died.
According to the lawsuit, Katie received a six-page formal charge email from Stanford’s office of community standards containing a disciplinary notice following an incident in which she allegedly spilled coffee on another Stanford student-athlete, who was accused of sexually assaulting one of her minor teammates.
The Meyers argues that the notice and ensuing investigation placed an unfair amount of stress on Katie, who was already struggling with mental health issues. They believe that if Stanford had handled the situation differently, Katie would still be alive today.
While no amount of money can bring back their daughter, the Meyers hope that this lawsuit will bring awareness to the issue of student-athlete mental health and prompt universities to take better care of their students.
Later that evening, she was found dead in one of Stanford’s residence halls, where she was a residential adviser. According to Meyer’s mother, the previous night she had been in good spirits, video-chatting with her family about a planned spring break with them.
Meyer’s parents alleged in the lawsuit that the letter Meyer received before she died “contained threatening language regarding sanctions and potential ‘removal from the university’”.
It said Meyer contacted the university immediately after receiving the email, informing them that she was “shocked and distraught” over the notice, but that “Stanford employees failed to support Katie when she expressed feelings of despair”.
