The mother of a Columbus State University student fatally shot on campus a year ago is preparing a $25 million lawsuit against the institution, its governing board and the state of Georgia, alleging they failed to protect her daughter from an abusive classmate.
Gisele Lara, 21, was fatally shot in a campus parking lot in an apparent murder-suicide on Aug. 18, 2023. Her 25-year-old classmate, Nathaniel Janik, was found dead at the scene from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound. The Columbus coroner said in Lara’s autopsy report that she was shot in the head. Her death is listed as a homicide.
Lara’s mother, Rebecca Lara, sent a formal notice Tuesday to CSU, the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia and the state of her intention to sue them under federal law that in part prohibits sex-based discrimination in federally funded education.
“CSU failed Gisele,” Rebecca Lara said in a news release. “My beautiful daughter deserved safety measures and protection. I am utterly heartbroken, but I am committed to seeking justice for Gisele and ensuring that such tragedies do not befall other families. Gisele’s story will shine a spotlight on the need for enhanced safety measures and accountability within educational institutions.”
Credit: Courtesy Rebecca Lara
Credit: Courtesy Rebecca Lara
A CSU spokesperson said the university does not comment on pending litigation, but said, “we continue to mourn the loss of Gisele Lara and respect the grief of Gisele’s family.”
An Aug. 19, 2023 email from the university to its biology students stated that Gisele Lara and Janik “died yesterday in an apparent homicide-suicide.” The email, provided to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution alongside other records in connection with the incident, said that students “may feel less safe on campus” and outlined counseling services.
Gisele Lara was in a biology class with Janik and told their professor on the first day of class that she was being harassed by Janik, who made her feel unsafe, case records show. On Aug. 16, 2023, Gisele Lara and her boyfriend told the professor that Janik had raped her during the summer and that he was stalking and harassing her.
At 5:47 p.m. that day, the professor created a formal report, marked “critical,” which went to the university’s assistant dean of students, police chief and campus security officials, among others. The next morning, a university staff member emailed Gisele Lara and suggested she schedule a meeting about the report, noting that support services may be available. That evening, Janik chased Gisele Lara to her car, case records show.
Credit: Courtesy Rebecca Lara
Credit: Courtesy Rebecca Lara
Rebecca Lara alleges that university staff made Janik aware of Gisele Lara’s concerns, prompting him to retaliate. She claimed that on the morning of Aug. 18, 2023, Janik and Gisele Lara had a dispute shortly before their biology class, which another student witnessed.
The biology professor noticed that Gisele Lara was “wide-eyed” and appeared distressed during the class, according to the lawsuit notice and a campus police report. Gisele Lara wrote to classmates stating that Janik “went from a nice guy to a weirdo overnight” and was demanding that she date him, records show.
Janik followed Gisele Lara to her car after the biology class ended, then “shot and killed Gisele as she sat in her vehicle and shot and killed himself soon after,” the notice states. It adds that Gisele Lara was “still breathing and gasping for air” when campus police responded, and claims that responding officers prevented paramedics from tending to Gisele Lara.
“CSU campus police and paramedics’ failure to even attempt medical evaluation or care may have contributed to the cause of Gisele’s death,” the notice states.
A paramedic report states in part, “No interventions made, no cardiac rhythm taken on either person in an effort to preserve the scene as it was found for PD investigation.” The report further states that “both people were obviously DOA of EMS” and “apneic,” indicating a lack of breathing.
Rebecca Lara claimed that CSU refused to conduct a transparent investigation and denied her access to information about her daughter’s death. Her attorneys, Brian Stewart and Lisa Anderson, said they hope the case will force CSU to follow the laws in place to protect students.
“Rebecca is not in this for money,” Anderson said Thursday. “She wants to make change.”
Under federal law, schools must promptly respond to complaints of sexual harassment.
“If CSU employees had been properly trained and followed the law, Gisele would still be alive today,” Stewart said. “For years, the CSU and other University System of Georgia institutions have suffered from lack of leadership and dangerous mismanagement leading to chronic problems in its response to and protection of victims of sexual harassment and threats of violence on its campuses. This is a systemic failure plain and simple.”
Gisele Lara was preparing to graduate in May 2024. She had published research with the National Science Foundation, accepted a position as a biology research employee at CSU and was starting to apply to biology Ph.D. programs.
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