Stanford Katie Meyer bill aims to get students more support when they're in trouble with administration

PALO ALTO, Calif. - A bill in the California legislature is pushing to get students more support when they are in trouble with the administration.

It's deemed "Katie Meyer's Law," named after the Stanford soccer player who died by suicide in 2022.

The bill has already cleared the higher education committee, appropriations committee, and the state Assembly. 

It's backed by Assemblymember Jacqui Irwin of Thousand Oaks.

The aim is to offer more support and guidance to students who face administrative trouble, which includes disciplinary action, issues with code of conduct., academic, athletic, or Title IX violations.

It would allow students to select a confidential advocate to help them navigate the process of disciplinary hearings. 

That advocate would need to be trained by the school on how its process works to best help the student. 

Irwin said that wasn't properly  in place at Stanford, where Meyer took her life. 

"The family of Katie Meyer and I believe AB 1575's mechanism to allow a student to select an advisor to assist them through a proceeding would provide continued support through what may be one of the most challenging moments a student has to face in their life," Irwin said Monday at an Assembly hearing. 

Meyer's family has since filed a lawsuit against the university, accusing Stanford of sending an aggressive code of conduct letter to Katie Meyer after she was accused of throwing hot coffee at a football player.

That player was accused of giving an unwanted kiss to one of Meyer's soccer teammates, but Meyer's family says he received no disciplinary action.

The lawsuit claims the letter sent to Meyer suggests consequences would have stalled her track to graduation and affected her status on the soccer team until the case was resolved. 

Meyer won a national championship with Stanford in 2019. 

The bill will now go to the state Senate to be heard by more committees.

If it clears those hurdles, it will go to Gov. Newsom's desk.