A lawsuit filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court accuses a former Harvard-Westlake High School water polo player of repeatedly assaulting a younger teammate while also subjecting him to racial harassment, with claims that school officials failed to act after being alerted.
The lawsuit was filed on behalf of Aidan Romain, who joined the prestigious private school’s water polo program as a freshman in 2022 at the age of 14. Another teammate is also included in the complaint.
Romain, now 18, was considered a rising star in the sport and participated in the USA Water Polo national development pipeline. According to the lawsuit, he was one of the few Black players on the Harvard-Westlake team.
The complaint alleges that beginning during Romain’s first practice in August 2022, an older teammate, Lucca van der Woude, engaged in repeated abusive conduct toward him over an extended period.
According to the filing, the alleged abuse continued through early 2024 and was accompanied by repeated racial slurs directed at Romain, including daily use of the N-word.
The lawsuit also claims that school officials were notified about the situation but failed to take appropriate action.
Romain’s mother reportedly met with Harvard-Westlake water polo coach Jack Grover on multiple occasions to raise concerns about the team’s culture and alleged harassment. The complaint states that Grover later sent a message saying he would be closely monitoring Romain.
The lawsuit names van der Woude, Harvard-Westlake School president Richard B. Commons, and coach Grover as defendants.
Attorneys representing Romain argue that school administrators failed to fulfill their legal obligations as mandated reporters once the allegations were brought forward.
The complaint alleges that after learning the same teammate was targeting other players, Romain reported the conduct to school officials but no meaningful action was taken at the time.
In addition to the alleged assaults, the lawsuit claims that van der Woude and another student subjected Romain to racially motivated harassment, including an incident in a school weight room in which the two allegedly mocked slavery while using racial slurs.
According to the complaint, both students later admitted to using the slurs when questioned by school officials.
In 2024, van der Woude was arrested by Los Angeles Police Department officers on Harvard-Westlake’s campus in connection with allegations of sexual assault. He was subsequently barred from campus and removed from the school’s water polo team.
The lawsuit further alleges that the school worked with the student’s family to facilitate his transfer to Newport Harbor High School shortly afterward.
Court documents show that in November 2024, van der Woude admitted in Los Angeles County Juvenile Court to sexual penetration with a foreign object against a minor.
Despite the legal proceedings, the lawsuit notes that he later continued competing in water polo and participated in USA Water Polo activities, including mentoring younger players at a training camp.
Van der Woude had previously committed to play for UCLA’s water polo program, but the university withdrew its scholarship offer following media reports about the allegations.
He later played for Golden West College.
Harvard-Westlake officials have not publicly addressed the allegations in detail but said they are aware of the lawsuit.
The case is ongoing in Los Angeles County Superior Court.
