Stanford University and the family of a star soccer player who died by suicide in 2022 have reached a resolution in a wrongful death lawsuit, according to a joint statement released Monday by the university and family.
Katie Meyer, a team captain and goalie for the Stanford women’s soccer team, was found dead in her on-campus room on Feb. 28, 2022. The Meyer family filed the wrongful death lawsuit in Santa Clara County in November 2022, stating that, at the time of her death, their daughter was facing distress over disciplinary proceedings related to an August 2021 incident in which she spilled coffee on a football player who had allegedly sexually assaulted one of her teammates.
The resolution includes several initiatives honoring Meyer’s legacy, according to the statement. The parties are “pleased to have reached a resolution,” they added.“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,” the statement reads. “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.”
Stanford and the Meyer family will create a collaborative mental health initiative for student athletes at the Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute, a Stanford-based institute that researches brain and behavior, according to the statement.
The settlement also implements the Katie Meyer Leadership Award, which will be given annually to a student athlete. Meyer’s jersey number — #19 — will be retired in honor of the “impact Katie had on Stanford women’s soccer.” Stanford will implement the guidelines of Katie Meyer’s Law “to provide support to students in its OCS disciplinary process,” the statement reads.
Katie Meyer’s Law, which allows students going through disciplinary proceedings at public colleges and universities to have an advisor of their choice to help them through the process, was signed into law by Governor Gavin Newsom in 2024, according to the Office of Jacqui Irwin, the assemblymember for Meyer’s home district who introduced the bill. A similar bill was introduced on a national level in September 2025 by Congresswoman Julia Brownley.
Stanford and the Meyer family will release further information on the leadership award and the Wu Tsai initiative later this year, they said.
The lawsuit alleged that Meyer had received a written notice charging her with a “Violation of the Fundamental Standard” on the night she died, which would have put her degree on hold just a few months before her graduation. She responded with an email expressing that she felt shocked and distraught by the decision and received a follow-up email that offered a meeting three days later.
Meyer then suffered an acute stress reaction that resulted in her suicide, the lawsuit alleged.
The lawsuit also stated that, months earlier, Meyer had said to Stanford employees that she had “been scared for months that my clumsiness will ruin my chances of leaving Stanford on a good note.”
After Meyer’s death, a group of Stanford alumni alleged that the university repeatedly failed to support students navigating the disciplinary process, which they characterized as “extreme.” The alumni pointed to a 2012 proposal that suggested students be provided with free alumni lawyers for assistance during the process, which the university did not implement.
Meyer’s death marked the fourth suicide at Stanford in 13 months.
Meyer had lead the Cardinal team to victory in the 2019 national championships, where she made two saves during a penalty shootout against North Carolina. She went viral for her reaction to one of the saves when she turned to an ESPN camera and made a gesture of locking her mouth and throwing away the key.
Meyer studied international relations with a minor in history, and she was named to the PAC-12’s academic honor roll twice. She also served as team captain twice.
Meyer was originally from Newbury Park, Calif., where she played on soccer and football teams and attended Newbury Park High School. One of her former coaches said she had a “contagious smile and that contagious energy.” She posted videos of her life on TikTok and had launched a podcast several weeks before her death.
If you or someone you know is struggling with feelings of depression or suicidal thoughts, the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline offers free, round-the-clock support, information and resources for help. Call or text the lifeline at 988, or see the 988lifeline.org website, where chat is available.
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