The grieving families of four University of Idaho students murdered in a brutal 2022 attack have launched a landmark lawsuit against Washington State University (WSU). They allege the institution displayed gross negligence by repeatedly ignoring formal complaints about killer Bryan Kohberger's disturbing behaviour in the months leading up to the slayings.
A Pattern of Warnings Allegedly Ignored
Filed on Wednesday, 9 January 2026, the legal action represents the families of victims Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle, and Ethan Chapin. The lawsuit accuses WSU of wrongful death, gross negligence, and violations of Title IX, the federal law banning sex discrimination in education. Central to their case is the claim that university administrators failed to act despite numerous reports that Kohberger was stalking and harassing women while he was a criminology PhD student and teaching assistant at the Pullman campus.
According to the filed documents, at least 13 formal complaints were lodged against Kohberger during his single semester as a student. The suit states there is "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." It argues the university neglected its duty to supervise him as a student, employee, and campus resident.
Institutional Failure and a Foreseeable Tragedy
Kohberger, now 31, pleaded guilty in July 2025 to fatally stabbing the four students in an off-campus house in Moscow, Idaho, just seven miles from WSU. He was sentenced to life in prison without parole. Following his sentencing, released investigative records revealed what the families' attorneys call a "disturbing picture of institutional inaction."
The complaint details that by September 2022, professors were already discussing a potential "intervention" regarding his treatment of female students. Women reportedly feared for their safety, requested escorts to their cars, and created informal warning systems when Kohberger was present. Less than two weeks before the November 2022 murders, he was called into a meeting with faculty to address conduct concerns.
WSU ultimately fired Kohberger from his teaching assistant role in early December 2022, after the killings but before his arrest, citing unsatisfactory performance and unprofessional behaviour. The families contend this action was tragically too late.
Families Seek Accountability and Reform
The plaintiffs, including Steve Goncalves, Karen Laramie, Jeff Kernodle, and Stacy Chapin, are seeking unspecified monetary damages. Their attorneys emphasise the case is not about vengeance, but about ensuring institutions take threats seriously. "The victims' families have come together with a shared purpose to seek transparency, accountability, and meaningful reform," they stated.
The lawsuit powerfully concludes that WSU's failure to exercise its authority allowed a known pattern of "discrimination, sexual harassment and stalking" to persist, which "ultimately culminated in Kohberger stalking and murdering the decedents." Washington State University has been contacted for comment regarding the allegations.
As part of his plea deal, Kohberger was ordered to pay over $300,000 in fines, approximately $32,000 in restitution to the families and an Idaho victim fund, and a further $20,000 in civil damages. He is currently serving his life sentence at a maximum-security prison south of Boise.
