Parents of CSU freshman who died of an allergic reaction in 2022 sue university

The parents of a Colorado State University freshman who died in a college dorm two years ago are suing the university, along with a CSU police dispatcher and a resident adviser, claiming the university has withheld information about the incident and that their daughter’s death could have been prevented.

Jessica and Douglas Meegan filed their suit in Larimer County District Court on Tuesday, exactly two years after their 18-year-old daughter, Sydney Meegan, collapsed in a CSU dorm and died following a severe allergic reaction. Their complaint alleges that Sydney was exposed to milk products, drugs and alcohol in a room in Durward Hall, substances that “were known to be dangerous to Sydney’s health and safety.”

The couple faulted resident adviser Hannah Brock for calling a non-emergency police line rather than 911 when she saw Sydney in distress. The suit also claims that Brock was aware of drug use in the dorm but did not report it to university officials.

The suit also names Robert Darling, identified as a dispatcher for the CSU police department, as a defendant. Darling, the document claims, “did not route the call correctly and did not instruct anyone on the scene at Durward Hall to administer CPR to Sydney with knowledge of the danger posed to Sydney by his conduct.”

Attempts by The Denver Post to reach Darling and Brock were unsuccessful.

Jessica Meegan, Sydney’s mother, told the Post on Thursday that her family is simply trying to find answers as to exactly what happened to the Chatfield Senior High School graduate in the early morning hours of Oct. 2, 2022. One of the claims in the suit alleges that CSU “refused to comply” with the couple’s open records request, and has “stonewalled the Meegans’ attempts to gain information.”

“We just want answers,” she said. “We’ve been asking for information (from CSU) and they haven’t been releasing what we’re asking for.”

The Meegans’ attorney, Randal Manning, said that includes records of social media activity or phone calls by any of those involved. He said the family is still seeking police bodycam footage from that night.

“If you read the facts of the case, Sydney should not have died,” Manning said. “Someone should have been able to prevent this.”

CSU spokeswoman Tiana Kennedy sent a statement to the Post, asserting that the university and its employees “were not responsible” for Sydney’s death.

“Sydney Meegan’s death was a tragic medical event, and our hearts continue to go out to her family,” Kennedy said.

The Meegans’ lawsuit states that their daughter went out to dinner in Fort Collins on the evening of Oct. 1, 2022, with a couple of fellow CSU students. They ended up back at the dorm room of one of those students, where there were drugs, alcohol and milk products present, the suit claims.

“Upon information and belief, Sydney was exposed to milk products while in… (the) room along with drugs and alcohol. Sydney had a long history of a severe allergy to milk products,” which the suit claims several of the students knew about.

The lawsuit doesn’t outline how Sydney was exposed to the products to which she was allergic. In an obituary posted on CSU’s website shortly after her death, the school wrote that Sydney graduated from Chatfield Senior High School in Littleton in 2022 and was a member of the Chi Omega sorority at CSU.

She had recently declared economics as her major and worked part-time at the aquatics center. She was an avid swimmer and horseback rider, the obituary says.

Sydney’s death two years ago prompted state lawmakers to pass a measure in 2023 called Sydney Meegan’s Law, which requires colleges and universities in Colorado to stock a supply of epinephrine auto-injectors in each student housing facility and cafeteria. The bill encourages institutions of higher learning to place those same devices in emergency public access stations on campus.

Jessica Meegan said she hopes the law in her daughter’s name is “one positive that comes out of this.”

“There are many other campuses across the country that recognize the severity of allergic reactions,” she said.

But for now, she has to stay strong for Sydney’s three younger siblings.

“It has shattered our family,” Jessica Meegan said.

Reporter Seth Klamann contributed to this story.

Get more Colorado news by signing up for our daily Your Morning Dozen email newsletter.

Link to original article