Stanford Responds to Allegations of Disciplinary Action Against Katie Meyer Before Her Death

Stanford University is addressing allegations that late soccer star Katie Meyer was facing potential disciplinary action shortly before her death.

In an interview with Today on March 4, the parents of the 22-year-old student athlete, Steve and Gina Meyer, confirmed that their daughter “died by suicide,” saying they believe Katie was “triggered” by a recent email she had received about facing punishment from the school. According to Steve, Kate was “defending a teammate on campus over an incident” prior to her passing.

Though the Meyers said they have not seen the email yet, Gina said that Katie had been receiving letters about the potential disciplinary action for the past few months and suspected the latest note “was kind of the final letter that there was going to be a ‘trial’ or some kind of something.”

In response, Dee Mostofi, Assistant Vice President of External Communications at Stanford University, told E! News in a statement, “We are not able to share information about confidential student disciplinary matters.”

“Our entire community is devastated by Katie’s death, and we share our deepest condolences with Katie’s family and everyone who knew her at Stanford, across the country and around the world. Katie touched so many lives,” the statement also read. “We as a university community continue to grieve with Katie’s family and cherish our memories of her.”

Katie, a senior International Relations major and the captain of Stanford’s women’s soccer team, was found dead in her campus residence on March 1. She was the team’s goalkeeper when the school won the NCAA women’s soccer championship in 2019.

In a previous statement, Stanford said Katie was “extraordinarily committed to everything and everyone in her world,” adding that “friends describe her as a larger-than-life team player in all her pursuits.”

During her interview with Today, Katie’s mother Gina said the past few days have been “a parent’s worst nightmare,” adding that her daughter “had a lot on her plate” but was “in great spirits” when they last spoke.

“We are struggling to know what happened, and why it happened,” she shared. “We’re just heartbroken, so heartbroken.”