“The murders were foreseeable and preventable,” the lawsuit says, claiming that Washington State University should have recognized that Kohberger was likely dangerous.
The families of four Idaho State students killed in a 2022 murder have filed a lawsuit against Washington State University, claiming that the school ignored repeated warnings about convicted killed Brian Kohberger.
According to FOX News, the lawsuit was filed earlier this week in Skagit County Superior Court. It was brought on behalf of Steve Goncalves, the father of Kaylee Goncalves; Karen Laramie, the mother of Madison Mogen; Jeffrey Kernodle, the father of Xana Kernodle; and Stacy Chapin, the mother of Ethan Chapin.
“The victims’ families have come together with a shared purpose to seek transparency, accountability, and meaningful reform,” the families’ lawyers said in a statement. “This effort is not about vengeance or speculation. This is about ensuring that institutions entrusted with the safety of young people take threats seriously and act decisively when warning signs are present.”
The lawsuit accuses Washington State University of gross negligence, wrongful death, and multiple alleged violations of federal education laws, including Title IX. The plaintiffs are seeking unspecified damages.
Attorneys for the four families say that the school failed to use its own threat-assessment systems, which are designed to identify individuals who could pose a risk of violence.
“The murders were foreseeable and preventable,” the lawsuit says, claiming that Washington State University should have recognized that Kohberger was likely dangerous.
The New York Times notes that, after Kohberger was sentenced, law enforcement agencies released files that the families’ lawyers claim paint “a disturbing picture of institutional inaction in the face of dire and repeated warnings.”
“These failures were not the result of a lack of authority or available safeguards, but rather a breakdown in accountability and responsibility at critical moments,” they said.
The lawsuit suggests that Kohberger had “developed a reputation for discriminatory, harassing, and stalking behavior” that Washington State University “allowed” to continue by failing to take any meaningful investigative or disciplinary action. Court documents indicate that at least 13 formal complaints were filed against Kohberger during the single semester he was enrolled at Washington State University.
“There was no indication that WSU acted on these formal complaints, or that it acted in an urgent and decisive manner commensurate with the imminent and serious threat that Kohberger posed,” the lawsuit alleges. “WSU failed to exercise its supervisory power and disciplinary authority over Kohberger, despite having repeated notice of the high risk of serious misconduct.”
Sources
Families of Slain Idaho Students Sue the University the Killer Attended
Idaho murder victims’ families file wrongful death lawsuit against Washington State University
Idaho murder victims’ families sue university Kohberger attended for damages
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