ST. LOUIS — A federal lawsuit was filed against Washington University in St. Louis and members of its police department for unlawfully ordering the arrest of a Missouri woman through the use of a “Wanted for Questioning” system that allegedly bypassed judicial oversight.
The federal lawsuit was brought by St. Louis resident Kaitlyn Killgo in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri and she argues that the university’s police force and cooperating officers from the Eureka Police Department violated her constitutional rights under the Fourth, Fifth and First Amendments, according to the Sept. 18 court document.
According to the filing, the case stems from events beginning in April 2024 when Washington University Police Department (WUPD) officers allegedly issued a statewide alert — known as a “Wanted” — targeting Killgo without a warrant or exigent circumstances.
WUPD is the only private university police force in Missouri with county-deputized authority and that the “Wanteds System” allows officers to issue arrest orders through a database without prior approval from a judge, the complaint states.
Killgo contends this practice is unconstitutional, citing a 2022 Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals decision that questioned the validity of such unilateral determinations of probable cause.
Killgo, who participated in peaceful anti-war protests at Washington University in April 2024, was first arrested on campus and detained in St. Louis County Jail before being released that night.
Months later, in September 2024, Eureka Police Officer Torre Kuelker stopped her vehicle and placed her in custody after discovering the WUPD-issued Wanted.
The complaint states she was held for hours until a volunteer attorney intervened, after which she was released only when her counsel agreed she would later attend an interview with WUPD.
The lawsuit details that WUPD Detective Jeffrey Barnhouse allegedly retaliated against Killgo for refusing to answer questions by threatening to have her arrested again.
During subsequent phone calls between Killgo’s attorneys and WUPD officers, Barnhouse and Detective Marc Wasem allegedly insisted she appear in person to sign a statement declining to be interviewed and warned they would issue another Wanted if she refused.
The complaint claims this amounted to intimidation and harassment of Killgo while she engaged in First Amendment–protected protest activity.
The filing also sheds light on the unusual legal status of WUPD. Washington University has argued in court that its officers are private employees rather than public law enforcement officers, successfully using that stance to avoid obligations under Missouri’s Sunshine Law.
Yet, under a 1969 county ordinance and a deputation agreement with St. Louis County, WUPD asserts its officers function as county-deputized police with powers that include issuing Wanteds.
The complaint contends this arrangement creates a constitutional contradiction — allowing a private corporation to order arrests without adhering to the accountability requirements imposed on public agencies.
Killgo alleges she has suffered emotional distress, fear and anxiety due to her arrest and the ongoing threat of renewed Wanteds. She states she has avoided public gatherings out of concern she could be detained again.
Killgo is seeking compensatory damages. She is represented by Maureen Hanlon and Ebony McKeever of Archcity Defenders Inc. in St. Louis.
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri case number: 4:25-cv-01407
