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College football goalkeeper Katie Meyer was facing disciplinary action before her death in February, according to a wrongful death lawsuit filed by her parents against the university.
Meyer was said to be 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, which was obtained by USA Today Sports.
Meyer, who served as the captain of the Stanford women’s soccer team, was sent a notice regarding imminent disciplinary action over the incident, which took place in August, on the evening of her death, per the suit.
“Stanford’s after-hours disciplinary charge, and the reckless nature and manner of submission to Katie, caused Katie to suffer an acute stress reaction that impulsively led to her (death),” the complaint read.
“Katie’s (death) was completed without planning and solely in response to the shocking and deeply distressing information she received from Stanford while alone in her room without any support or resources.”
Meyer is said to have received the notice after 7pm, when campus counseling resources had already closed, per the complaint, which also 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.”
The suit alleges that Stanford “failed to respond to Katie’s expression of distress, instead ignored it and scheduled a meeting for 3 days later via email,” and how university employees “made no effort whatsoever to check on Katie’s well-being, either by a simple phone call or in-person welfare check.”
Dee Mostofi, who is Stanford’s assistant vice president of external communications, stated that the head of the Office of Community reached out to Meyer “several days” prior to the late student-athlete receiving the formal letter. Mostofi said the OCS individual “gave Katie until that date to provide any further information for consideration,” and that Meyer “provided no information and OCS informed her on the evening of February 28 that the matter would move to a hearing.”
“The Stanford community continues to grieve Katie’s tragic death and we sympathise 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.”
Meyer’s notice is said to have contained a phone number to contact for “immediate support,” and was informed the availability of the resource was 24 hours a day and seven days a week, per Mostofi. Meyer is also said to have been “explicitly told that this was not a determination that she did anything wrong, and OCS offered to meet with her to discuss the matter if she wished.”
The football player was not seeking any punishment that would “impact” Meyer’s life during the disciplinary process, per USA Today.
Meyer was 22 years old at the time of her death.
Meyer helped Stanford capture the 2019 NCAA women’s soccer championship. She majored in international relations and minored in history.
— This story originally appeared on nypost.com and has been republished with permission
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