I pay attention to violence on school campuses because of my history as a teacher who was shut down for speaking up to prevent escalating violent disruptions in my classroom. I usually do not read about every murder trial other than some mainstream media coverage or some discussions by Monday morning quarterbacking experts or YouTube commentators.
For several years now, I have been watching some of the podcasts or videos of the lawyer who posted the link below. He is a Canadian lawyer. I found him during the early part of the pandemic. I find him credible and not an alarmist nor a showman.
This lawyer has done a review, a little over an hour long, of the civil lawsuit that has been filed against Washington State University. by the family of Kohlberger's victims. He was an employee of that University although the murders were of students at the University of Idaho. The 126-page civil lawsuit is reviewed in its entirety with commentary.
The killings fall into the school violence category, not only because they occurred to students but because the murderer, an employee of a university, was an employee of the University that is being sued.
The allegations against the University of Washington have not been heard in court. I hope the lawsuit goes to trial and is not dismissed, settled or signed off with confidentiality statements.
Per this information, the murderer had documented offenses even in high school. As you listen to the details listed in the lawsuit and the commentary, you may wonder why nothing was really done before the murders. You will learn that reports were submitted.
If you ask after listening to the review, could these murders been prevented, you may find your answer to be, "of course".
As the lawyer does state, in hindsight, one would wonder why more was not done. Per the lawsuit, the conversation was had about Kohlberger at the University of Washington. Threat assessments are an important part of college campuses. The Clery Act and FERPA allow colleges and universities to act before murders are committed.
Why didn't the University of Washington Act? You will learn in this video that the fear of civil lawsuits played a part. Does that fear ring a bell for you? It sure does ring a bell for me. My school district in 1998 retaliated against me for fear of lawsuits.
Like violence, lawsuits are hidden until chaos erupts. Virginia Tech faced multiple lawsuits after the killing there in 2007. The Clery Act and FERPA were updated after the murders at Virginia Tech.
The University of Washington may or may not have seen this lawsuit coming, but it has arrived. They may even find large fines because of The Clery Act and FERPA regulations.
Runkle of the Bailey does a good review. He does not get technical or use legalese. He has a slant but mainly reads the 126 pages with limited opinion commentary.
If prevention is worth a pound of cure, the University of Washington will most likely pay out lots of pounds whether we hear about it or not. There are 364 bullet points in the lawsuit.
Those who only follow school shootings are missing many of the violence on college campuses.
This lawsuit took me by surprise; it may take you by surprise also.
I continued to speak up because history repeats itself. Silence allowed this perpetrator to get away with murder even though he will live the rest of his life in prison.
Families of Kohberger's Victims Sue Washington State University - Court Document Review
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1eS0i-F0VHs&t=590s
Marian Carlino
January 18, 2026
