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four university families idaho Student murdered in bed says warning signs were there but ignored long ago Brian Koberg performed one of the The deadliest crime in the state’s history.
Wednesday, family Kayanli Gonsalves, Morgan Knold, submitted a litigation be opposed to washington State University alleges that the school failed to act on repeated complaints of inappropriate behavior by Koberg while he was a graduate student and teaching assistant, ultimately leading to a foreseeable tragedy.
The lawsuit accuses WSU of gross negligence, wrongful death and violations of Title IX, the federal law that prohibits sex discrimination at public universities.
The lawsuit alleges that despite numerous reports that Koberg stalked and harassed women in the months leading up to the November 2022 killings, managers failed to intervene.
Kohberger is a doctoral candidate in criminology at Washington State University. Living in a college dormitory in Pullman, he pleaded guilty in July to fatally stabbing four students at his off-campus home about seven miles outside Moscow, Idaho. He was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole after accepting a plea deal that avoided the death penalty.
As part of his plea agreement, Koberg waived his right to appeal and was sentenced to four consecutive life sentences plus 10 years in prison, a fine of more than $300,000, and ordered to pay approximately $32,000 in restitution to his family and the Idaho Victim Compensation Fund, plus $20,000 in civil restitution.
After Koberg’s sentencing, officials released investigative records that the family’s lawyers said revealed a pattern of institutional failure.
“The information now coming to light paints a disturbing picture of institutional inaction in the face of repeated dire warnings,” attorneys for the families said in a statement. “These failures were not the result of a lack of authority or available safeguards, but the result of a breakdown in accountability and responsibility at a critical moment.”
Kaylee Goncalves’ father, Steve Goncalves, who vowed legal action last year, is the lead plaintiff in the case, along with Madison Mogen’s mother, Karen Laramie, Xana Kernodle’s father, Jeff Kernodle, and Ethan Chapin. ‘s mother, Stacy Chapin. The families are seeking unspecified monetary damages.
“Plaintiffs seek to hold Washington State University accountable for its own decisions and actions following known extreme and recurring incidents of discrimination, sexual harassment and stalking that occurred in Koberg’s educational program,” the statement said. “…culminating in Koberg stalking and murdering the deceased.”
According to the lawsuit, WSU has an obligation to supervise Koberg in his capacity as a student, employee, campus resident and university Internet user. But during one semester at the school, at least 13 formal complaints were made against him.
“There is no indication that WSU acted on these formal complaints or that it took urgent and decisive action commensurate with the imminent and serious threat posed by Koberg,” the lawsuit states. “Despite repeated notices that Koberg posed a high risk of serious misconduct, WSU failed to exercise its supervisory and disciplinary authority against Koberg.”
In response to the lawsuit, a Washington State University spokesperson said independent: “Our hearts go out to the family and friends affected by this terrible tragedy. As this is a legal matter, we decline to comment further at this time.”
The lawsuit alleges that Koberg “developed a reputation for discriminatory, harassing and stalking behavior” that the school allowed to persist. By September 2022, professors were discussing possible “interventions” in his treatment of female students, according to the complaint.
The women allegedly feared for their safety in Koberg’s presence, asked to be escorted to their cars, and set up an informal warning system to protect each other.
According to previous reports, less than two weeks before the murder, Koberg was called into a meeting with faculty to address concerns about his behavior. New York Times. In early December, after the killing but before his arrest, Washington State University fired him from his assistant position, citing unsatisfactory performance and failure to meet “standards of professional conduct.”
Koberg’s family argued in the lawsuit that the school’s decision to fire Koberg came too late.
“The victims’ families have come together with a common goal to seek transparency, accountability and meaningful reform,” their attorney said.
“This effort is not about revenge or opportunism. It is about ensuring that agencies responsible for the safety of young people take threats seriously and act decisively when warning signs arise.”
Koberg, 31, is serving his sentence at Idaho’s maximum-security prison in southern Idaho. Boise.