An 18-year-old Black water polo player has filed a lawsuit against Harvard-Westlake, one of Los Angeles's most elite private schools, alleging he was sexually assaulted and racially harassed by teammates for years while school staff failed to intervene. Aidan Romain is suing the school, its president Richard Commons, water polo head Jack Grover, and former teammate Lucca van der Woude, claiming a 'culture of harassment' within the programme.
The lawsuit, filed on 27 February in Los Angeles superior court, alleges that school officials ignored or minimised reports of abuse to protect the team and van der Woude, a star player. According to the complaint, Romain endured sexual assault, including digital penetration, and racial slurs from teammates, with incidents occurring from August 2022 to January 2024.
Romain also claims he was subjected to racist attacks, including being whipped in a re-enactment of slavery while being called racial slurs. The school has denied many of the allegations, stating it treated reports with urgency and complied with legal obligations. Van der Woude's attorney has denied all allegations, and the lawyer for another teammate, Connor Kim, also rejected the claims as false.
Harvard-Westlake, with annual tuition of $54,900, counts celebrities among its alumni. The lawsuit highlights a major scandal for the institution, which is ranked among the top five private schools in the Los Angeles area.
