The families of four University of Idaho students murdered in their beds have filed a lawsuit against Washington State University (WSU), alleging the institution ignored repeated warning signs about Bryan Kohberger's behaviour before the killings.
The legal action, filed on Wednesday, accuses WSU of gross negligence, wrongful death and violations of Title IX, claiming administrators failed to act on numerous complaints that Kohberger was stalking and harassing women while a graduate student and teaching assistant. The families argue that the university's inaction allowed a foreseeable tragedy to unfold.
Kohberger, a PhD criminology student at WSU, pleaded guilty in July to fatally stabbing Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin at an off-campus home in Moscow, Idaho, in November 2022. He was sentenced to life in prison without parole, plus additional fines and restitution.
The lawsuit states that during his single semester at WSU, at least 13 formal complaints were lodged against Kohberger, yet no urgent action was taken. Women reportedly feared for their safety, requested escorts to their cars, and created informal warning systems to protect themselves from him.
By September 2022, professors were discussing an intervention over Kohberger's treatment of female students, and he was summoned to a meeting with faculty less than two weeks before the murders. WSU dismissed him from his teaching assistant role in early December, after the killings but before his arrest, citing unsatisfactory performance and failure to meet professional behaviour norms.
A WSU spokesperson said: 'Our hearts remain with the families and friends impacted by this horrific tragedy. Because this is a legal matter, we are declining further comment at this time.' The families, including Kaylee Goncalves's father Steve, are seeking unspecified monetary damages.
