Katie Meyer’s parents suspect Stanford soccer star’s ‘horrific’ death by suicide came amid disciplinary fears

The parents of Katie Meyer, the 22-year-old Stanford University soccer star found lifeless in her dorm room Tuesday, said their daughter’s sudden death came amid potential disciplinary measures from the school.

“She died by suicide,” Gina Meyer confirmed to NBC’s “Today” show in an interview that aired Friday, adding that there were no “red flags” indicating anything was wrong with her daughter, who was months from graduation.

She compared the days since her daughter’s death to a “nightmare” that doesn’t end. “It’s just horrific,” Gina Meyer said.

The victim’s parents added that after their daughter’s death, they learned that Katie had received an email from Stanford officials warning of potential disciplinary measures against her in relation to a situation in which she acted in defense of one of her teammates. Her father Steven Meyer said that sticking up for a teammate is consistent with “Katie being Katie.”

Gina said she and her husband can’t imagine what else could have contributed to their daughter’s death.

“She had been getting letters for a couple months,” she said. “This letter was kind of the final letter that there was going to be a trial or some kind of something.”

Gina and Steven Meyer said they have not seen the email that may have had their daughter concerned. The victim’s mom said the drive to be a good student and competitive athlete comes with anxiety.

Stanford University told “Today” in a statement that the school could not comment on disciplinary matters involving students, but that the entire community was devastated by the California native’s death.

“We as a university community continue to grieve with Katie’s family and cherish our memories of her,” the university said.