PULLMAN, Wash. – The families of four University of Idaho students murdered by Bryan Kohberger in 2022 filed a lawsuit against Washington State University (WSU) on Wednesday. The lawsuit claims WSU failed to act on numerous formal complaints about Kohberger’s behavior and overlooked his troubling history before employing him.
Court documents revealed that Kohberger was hired as a Teaching Assistant in the Criminal Justice and Criminology Department at WSU. His studies focused on sexually motivated burglars and serial killers.
Prior to his arrival at WSU, Kohberger reportedly had a history of heroin addiction, a previous theft arrest on record and numerous posts made on public online forums describing his inability to feel emotions and “crazy thoughts” that he experienced.
Kohberger was removed from a vocational program during high school following alleged problems with women. Local business owners later reported keeping electronic notes warning female staff about his alarming behavior toward young women.
According to court documents, the WSU office of Compliance and Civil Rights (CCR) received at least 13 formal complaints related to Kohberger. However, the employee responsible for following up on these complaints stated she never met or spoke with Kohberger.
Kohberger’s supervising instructor reportedly expressed concerns about removing him from employment, fearing a civil lawsuit. This raised questions about whether WSU prioritized financial interests over the safety of its students and staff.
Court documents further noted that WSU provided safety escorts to staff and students who were concerned about Kohberger, evidencing the university’s awareness of the potential danger Kohberger posed to the Pullman-Moscow community.
The plaintiffs argued that a proper threat assessment would have identified warning signs, such as Kohberger’s stalking behavior, work performance issues, preoccupation with violent fantasies and troubling searches on the university’s internet network.
The plaintiffs further claimed that WSU’s office did not investigate the complaints but continued to employ Kohberger, providing him with academic opportunities that fueled his obsessions.
