Former Stanford goalie Katie Meyer may have left clues to final hours on laptop

The “deepest, darkest thoughts’’ of Katie Meyer may be relevant in the wrongful death lawsuit her parents filed against Stanford University, a California judge wrote in an order submitted with the Santa Clara County Superior Court.

The Sept. 28 order compels Meyer’s parents, Steve and Gina, to produce a "mirror drive'' containing potentially sensitive information from Katie Meyer's laptop. It also underscores how things have evolved since the former Stanford soccer goalkeeper died by suicide more than a year and a half ago.

On Thursday night, she will be remembered publicly again at Stanford’s campus in California, where she was a captain of the women’s soccer team when she took her life.

A year ago, Stanford bought airline tickets for Meyer's parents so they could fly in from their home in Southern California for the soccer team's mental health awareness match, when their daughter was honored. They have no plans to attend this year's event.

"We were not contacted by Stanford about the game — however, we are heartened to see that since Katie’s tragic passing, there appear to be steps taken by the university to provide mental health and well-being resources for their students, as they are the caretakers of our young people during their lives on campus,'' Gina and Steve Meyer said in a statement provided to USA TODAY. "We have, and always will be, fully supporting the Stanford Women's Soccer Program and the amazing young women of that team.''

Neither lawyers representing Stanford in the matter nor Dee Mostofi, Stanford's assistant vice president for external communications, responded to USA TODAY's requests for comment made by email and phone.

The litigation between the Meyers and Stanford has grown increasingly combative, as reflected by court filings. Both parties, in assigning responsibility for Meyer’s death, have accused the other of breaching duty of care.

Key evidence about why Meyer took her life at 22, just months before she was set to graduate, could be found on the mirror drive of Meyer’s laptop, according to court records.

Why is Katie Meyer's mirror drive important?

Meyer’s laptop is relevant because of what her parents say it proves, according to court filings.

Their assertions center around disciplinary action Stanford took against Meyer in 2022, according to court filings. School officials determined Meyer may have acted in retaliation when she spilled coffee on a Stanford football player in 2021.

The unnamed player, who suffered burns on his back that required medical attention, had kissed one of Meyer’s teammates without consent a week earlier, according to the school’s records filed with the court.

On Feb. 28, 2022, the night before Meyer’s body was found in her dorm room, she received an email from Stanford informing her that she was facing a disciplinary charge stemming from the spilled coffee. According to a court filing, a five-page letter sent by email explained her degree was going to be placed on hold less than four months from graduation and the charge could result in her removal from the university.

“Computer forensics shows that Katie frantically toggled back and forth between the letter and the attachments and searching how to defend a disciplinary complaint,’’ according to a court document that noted Stanford's Counseling and Psychiatric Services were closed when Meyer received the email to which she replied she was "shocked and distraught."

“The actions of Stanford and its employees in charging Katie with a violation of fundamental standards over spilling coffee on a Football Player perpetrator of sexual assault without sufficient evidence was reckless, and wrongful and resulted in an acute stress reaction and her impulsive suicide.''

Stanford said the unnamed soccer player who was kissed by the football player without consent did not take the necessary steps to initiate a formal investigation, according to court records.

What has Stanford argued?

The school objected after months of delays following the Meyers agreeing to provide the mirror drive. It led to the Sept. 28 order from Judge Frederick Chung of the Superior Court of Santa Clara that the Meyers produce the mirror drive in 30 days.

The Meyers agreed March 10 in responses verified under oath to produce the mirror drive but, according to the judge's order, "then backtracked.''

The Meyers later argued they never agreed to provide an "absolute mirror image of the decedent's computer'' and only "responsive,'' "non-privileged information," according to the order. The judge wrote that argument is "baseless."

“In addition,’’ the judge wrote, “the court finds that a mirror image of Katie Meyer's laptop is directly relevant to the central issues in this case, including Katie's state of mind and her activities on her computer.’’

Meyer's parents say she reported suffering from depression and suicidal ideation at the time she was going through the disciplinary proceeding. According to Meyer's parents, Stanford's handling of the disciplinary process led to Meyer's suicide.

Stanford, in response to the Meyers' complaint, introduced evidence it argues shows Meyer’s parents contributed to her suicide.

In February 2022, six days before Meyer was found dead, she rehearsed in front of teachers an oral presentation she would make to the class about her family relationships before she came to Stanford, according to a court filing.

“The notes taken of what Katie said reveal Katie’s struggles with her parents and their control and pressure to be perfect,’’ Stanford’s attorneys wrote.

Meyer made statements about her mental state during a period that ended before she enrolled at Stanford, according to the school’s filing.

This was cited as part of the school’s contention that Meyer’s parents "breached...duty of care."

Attorney Kim Dougherty, who is representing Meyer's parents, told USA TODAY by email, "While elite athletes and devoted students always endure stress related to their goals, nothing caused Katie to take her life until the night she received the 5 page punitive letter threatening everything she worked so hard for and her entire future."

Autopsy and toxicology reports

A suicide note was recovered from the scene, according to the autopsy report, which provides no additional information about the note.

A filing from the Meyers states, “The letter from (Office of Community Standards) was open on Katie’s computer screen at the time of her death."

But a court filing from Stanford stated the suicide note “did not mention the (disciplinary) proceeding or anything related to it.’’

According to the autopsy report, Meyer had been diagnosed with Major Depressive Disorder and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). The report, which cites a medical record review, does not say when Meyer was diagnosed.

At Stanford, she was prescribed Concerta, an ADHD medicine she had been taking since May 2021 to help with issues of concentration, according to a court filing. But she "had issues'' refilling the prescription because of insurance and after November 2021 was unable to get the medicine prescribed again, according to the filing.

The filing states that a sports psychologist and sports psychiatrist at Stanford failed to properly monitor Meyer's refills even though they knew suicidal ideations may be present for months after discontinuation of the medicine. No drugs were found in her body at the time of her death, according to the toxicology report.

In addressing the relevance of the mirror drive, Judge Chung wrote of Meyer’s mental health and mental state, “Those issues have been pushed to the forefront by the Meyers' own allegations…and so the uncomfortable reality is that much of Katie's private life — including her deepest, darkest thoughts — may be potentially relevant to this case.’’

What's next?

Dougherty, the attorney representing Meyer's parents, said they are prepared to comply with Judge Chung’s deadline to produce the mirror drive by the end of this month.

On Tuesday, as Stanford was preparing for the women’s soccer team’s mental health awareness match, Dougherty said she has been working on an amendment to protect third-party rights in the release of the mirror drive.

"So if there’s friends of (Meyer's) or boyfriends or things like that where they’re talking about their own private information, that’s the area that obviously we want to protect and ensure is protected as required under California law,'' Dougherty said. “That’s what we’re negotiating on with Stanford right now. We are not seeking to hide anything as it relates to the Meyers or Katie. We have nothing to hide.''

There is no information on the setting of a trial date, according to Jessica Kellogg, communications program manager for the Superior Court of Santa Clara County. 

On Thursday night, when Stanford plays Oregon State, Meyer will be recognized in a variety of ways, according to the school.

Stanford’s players will wear T-shirts that bear the slogan “Katie’s Save,’’ a nod to the initiative of Meyer’s parents to require colleges to give students the option to select a designated advocate. They argue it would have saved their daughter.

As they have all season, Stanford players will wear jerseys with a butterfly patch in honor of Meyer. She loved butterflies.

If you or someone you know may be struggling with suicidal thoughts, you can call the U.S. National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-TALK (8255) any time day or night, or chat online.

Crisis Text Line also provides free, 24/7, confidential support via text message to people in crisis when they dial 741741.