The families of four University of Idaho students, who were tragically killed in a stabbing incident in 2022, have initiated a wrongful death lawsuit against Washington State University (WSU). They claim that the university ignored multiple warning signs about Brian Koberger, the alleged perpetrator.
This civil lawsuit was submitted to Skagit County Superior Court on January 7 by the relatives of the victims: Steve Gonsalves, father of Kaylee Gonsalves; Karen Laramie, mother of Madison Morgen; Jeffrey Kernodle, father of Zana Kernodle; and Stacey Chapin, mother of Ethan Chapin.
The lawsuit accuses WSU of gross negligence and wrongful death, along with violating federal education laws, such as Title IX. The families are seeking monetary damages, though the exact amount remains unspecified.
Robert Clifford, a senior partner at the Clifford Law Firm, pointed out that keeping damages unspecified is a common practice in complex litigation. It helps maintain focus on the merits of the case rather than sensational details, leaving the jury to determine the outcome.
Interestingly, even though Koberger has pleaded guilty to murder, this civil case still stands. The plaintiffs only need to prove that the university was liable, which is generally a lower bar than in criminal proceedings.
According to the lawsuit, WSU had employed Koberger as a faculty assistant and provided him with various benefits including salary and housing. The families assert that the university had ample authority to intervene but failed to heed growing concerns about Koberger’s behavior during the fall semester of 2022, despite receiving multiple reports accusing him of stalking and harassment.
The complaint states that WSU received at least 13 formal complaints regarding Koberger’s alleged predatory behavior toward female students and staff but did not act on them. This, they argue, was reckless given the circumstances.
Furthermore, the family alleges that WSU did not utilize its threat assessment system to evaluate the risks posed by Koberger. Instead, they continued to provide him access to campus and student interactions, leading to a profoundly preventable tragedy.
Koberger pleaded guilty in July 2025 and received four life sentences without parole. Prosecutors outlined how he had attacked the four students at an off-campus rental in Moscow, Idaho, in the early hours of November 13, 2022.
Koberger was apprehended in Pennsylvania in December 2022 after law enforcement connected him to the crime through DNA, surveillance footage, and other evidence that placed him near the victims’ residence at night.
WSU has yet to respond to the lawsuit, and outreach to the university for a comment remains pending.
