Please note: This post discusses suicide. If you or someone you know is having thoughts of suicide, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is available 24 hours a day at 1-800-273-8255.

The family of Stanford University soccer goalkeeper and team captain Katie Meyer recently brought a wrongful death lawsuit against the school, arguing it was liable for her suicide for its mishandling of a disciplinary notice. This came after an incident in which she had allegedly spilled coffee on a member of Stanford's football team.

The complaint against Stanford asserts that the school sent Meyer a 6-page email after normal school/business hours detailing disciplinary sanctions, including potential dismissal, and containing threatening language. Her family believes she suffered an acute stress reaction after receiving the email in the evening and alone in her dorm room, away from any of her support networks or resources. Stanford has so far denied that its handling of the notice was responsible for Meyer's suicide.

When a Student Commits Suicide, Can their College or University Be Found Liable?

The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention reports that suicide is the second-leading cause of death for college students. Colleges and universities across the country have faced wrongful death lawsuits in cases of suicide in the past. In 2018, the Massachusetts Supreme Court ruled that schools can be held liable in some cases of student suicides. Generally, a school must be shown to be negligent in some way – for example, if it has knowledge of threats of or attempts at self-harm and it failed to provide needed, timely support.

An article published in Psychiatric Services, a Journal of the American Psychiatric Association, reports that "[c]olleges and universities have seen an evolution of the law governing their responsibility for harm that occurs to their students," and the trend is moving in the direction of schools having less immunity than they have had in the past.

The article explores the case mentioned above and explains that the court found that a college or university has a duty to take reasonable measures to protect a student from self-harm if it "has actual knowledge of a student's suicide attempt that occurred while enrolled at the university or recently before matriculation, or of a student's stated plans or intentions to commit suicide."

Don't Go Head to Head with a Powerful Institution Alone

Institutes of Higher Education have the resources, positional power, and motivation to deny wrongdoing and avoid lawsuits and negative public relations.

No family should face potential litigation against a university alone. Retaining legal counsel in a timely manner can, in part, determine whether a legal case can be brought. In many states, there is a limited window of time in which claims can be filed against public colleges and universities.

Helping Hold Colleges and Universities Accountable for Tragedies

National Education Lawyer Joseph D. Lento can help hold colleges and universities accountable when their mishandling of a case leads to an unthinkable tragedy. Attorney Lento and his Law Firm will work tirelessly and compassionately on behalf of families going through such unimaginable circumstances.

Reach out to the Lento Law Firm team by calling 888-535-3686 or scheduling a consultation online.