Assaults Began on Day One (Image Credits: Ca-times.brightspotcdn.com)
Los Angeles – A former Black water polo player at the elite Harvard-Westlake School filed a lawsuit alleging repeated sexual assaults and racial harassment by teammates that continued despite reports to coaches and administrators.[1][2]
Assaults Began on Day One
Aidan Romain, then a 14-year-old freshman, joined the varsity water polo team in August 2022. During his first practice, teammate Lucca van der Woude digitally penetrated him underwater in the school pool, according to the complaint filed in Los Angeles Superior Court.[3] Such incidents repeated in the weight room, locker room, showers, and even on campus stairs through early 2024.[4]
Van der Woude, a standout player eyed for USA Water Polo’s national youth team and Olympic contention, also targeted Romain with racial slurs. Teammates called him the N-word nearly daily for months and whipped him with ropes and bands in the weight room, reenacting slavery.[1] Another player grabbed Romain’s genitals and struck his testicles in the outdoor showers in February 2024.[3]
Romain described the ordeal in a victim impact statement included in the suit. Practices became “incredibly stressful,” filled with fear of assault amid team animosity and slurs.[1]
Multiple Reports Met with Inaction
Romain’s mother met coach Jack Grover twice in March 2023 to raise alarms about a toxic team culture targeting minority players, including racial slurs. Grover responded via text that his “eyes are going to be on [your son].”[4] Parents later reported the sexual abuse directly in December 2023, with Romain demonstrating the assaults to deans using a folded pillow.
Despite these disclosures and admissions from van der Woude and teammate Connor Kim about slurs, the school took no protective steps. The suit claims Harvard-Westlake violated mandatory reporting laws as child abuse reporters.[2] Instead, after a February 2024 shower assault report, athletic director Matt LaCour suspended Romain for four games.
- August 2022: Initial underwater assault during first practice.[3]
- March 2023: Mother’s meetings with coach about racial abuse.[4]
- December 2023: Reports to deans; another teammate assaulted.[1]
- February 2024: Final reports lead to van der Woude’s campus arrest.[2]
Arrest, Transfer, and Ongoing Fallout
Los Angeles police arrested van der Woude on campus in late February 2024. In November 2024, he admitted in juvenile court to sexually penetrating a minor, leading to a no-contact order and nearly $50,000 in restitution to Romain.[3] The school facilitated his transfer to Newport Harbor High School with what the suit calls a “clean record.”
Van der Woude continued competing, mentoring young players at a USA Water Polo camp, and playing college water polo despite SafeSport suspensions.[4] Romain left Harvard-Westlake at year’s end, relocating to Barcelona for safety and training.[1]
The February 27, 2026, lawsuit names the school, President Richard B. Commons, Grover, and van der Woude. It seeks compensatory damages, punitive awards, and injunctive relief for negligence, battery, and civil rights violations.[3]
Parties Respond to Claims
Attorney Daniel Watkins, representing Romain, called the suit “born of a profound and unforgivable injustice,” with facts “unvarnished, unflinching, undeniable.”[1] Van der Woude’s lawyer said responses would come in court, not media.
Harvard-Westlake disputed many claims, stating it handled reports with “urgency and seriousness,” investigated, met reporting duties, and cooperated with police.[4]
Key Takeaways
- Alleged assaults spanned over a year, involving digital penetration and physical violence.
- Racial slurs targeted Romain daily, with school reports ignored.
- Van der Woude admitted guilt but continued in sports post-arrest.
This case underscores vulnerabilities in elite youth sports programs. Schools must prioritize student safety over reputations. What do you think about the school’s handling? Tell us in the comments.
