Screening of ‘SAVE: The Katie Meyer Story’ brings reflection on Meyer’s legacy to campus

The Undergraduate Senate (UGS) Administration and Rules Committee held a public screening of “SAVE: The Katie Meyer Story” Sunday at Oshman Hall, featuring the film’s director Jen-Karson Strauss to address the filmmaking process.

The film, produced by ESPN’s E:60, serves as a timeline of Katie Meyer’s life and legacy, starting with her childhood and time at Stanford, and ending with the lives of her loved ones after her death, including the wrongful death lawsuit her family filed against Stanford and their efforts to pass Katie Meyer’s Law. 

After the documentary’s release, Stanford and Meyer’s family reached a settlement of the wrongful death lawsuit. In their joint statement, published on Jan. 26, Stanford wrote that they agreed to establish the Katie Meyer Leadership Award and work with the Meyers to create a mental health and wellness initiative for student-athletes. The law requires universities to allow students going through a disciplinary process to have a qualified independent advisor, either selected by the student or provided by the university.

“[The film] is something that didn’t just impact one family; it impacted a community, a university, NCAA soccer…that is going to impact students for years to come potentially,” director Karson-Strauss told The Daily.

Sports broadcaster and former professional soccer player Julie Foudy ’92 explained how the story impacted her as a former Stanford women’s soccer player who also called the semifinal and final games during Stanford’s NCAA title with Katie Meyer. In an interview with The Daily, Foudy stated that she still approached the documentary “objectively,” adding that she still feels connected to Stanford. 

“You can love something deeply and you can also tell it to be better,” Foudy said. “And you can look at it objectively and say what needs to be done here.”

Dan Kubota ’27, Chair of the UGS Administration and Rules Committee and a writer for The Daily, hosted the screening. Kubota reviewed the documentary following its release, which motivated her to organize the screening. Kubota stated that she hopes the film will help students feel less alone in Office of Community Standards (OCS) cases and increase awareness that “OCS reform is still an issue on this campus.”

Interim director of OCS Lawrence Marshall attended the screening.

“I can tell you that the message of this film is impacting not only [OCS] and how we approach the necessary business of dealing with allegations of misconduct, but in talking with colleagues around the country. This is a project that is having extraordinary impact,” Marshall said.

Attendees also had the chance to ask Karson-Strauss questions following the screening, in which she stating her desire to emphasize the human side of Meyer’s story, allowing her to “have her own voice in it” and supporting her family.

“We really wanted to be thoughtful and sensitive to what [Katie Meyers’ parents] were going through, reliving some of the hardest memories of their lives, but also even the good memories too,” said Karson-Strauss.

For Karson-Strauss, including as many important voices and resources as possible is important. For “SAVE,” that included Katie’s family, the founder of the Student Justice Project Robert Ottilie ’77, lawsuit documents, the University and many other anonymous sources.

Karson-Strauss also spoke to the power of being able to tell an impactful story like Katie’s, given how it has touched so many different people.

“There were a number of people that wrote to ESPN that were like, ‘I went through a disciplinary process at my university and I still remember it and it was harmful to me’,” said Karson-Strauss.

She also addressed recent developments in the case, including the settlement and efforts to reform disciplinary efforts at universities and colleges. She described these as steps in the right direction. 

“There’s an understanding and more of a willingness…that it shouldn’t be a one size fits all approach, and there’s a human element that needs to be incorporated when you’re dealing with students,” said Karson-Strauss. 

Cheriall Odell ’26, an attendee of the event, said she found the opportunity to see Meyer on a deeper level through the screening was a “really meaningful” experience. Odell said that the story was “very close to home” as someone who had previously attempted suicide, adding that Meyer’s story motivated much of her time at Stanford, including mental health advocacy work that she engaged with.

“I think it’s such a beautiful and powerful story to tell and to get to know her,” said Odell.

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