Star Water Polo Player Sues Elite LA High School Over Alleged Assault and Racism

Aidan Romain, 18, filed a lawsuit against Harvard-Westlake School, school officials, and a former teammate for alleged sexual assault, harassment, and racial abuse.

Published on Mar. 5, 2026

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Aidan Romain, a former star water polo player at Harvard-Westlake School in Los Angeles, has filed a civil lawsuit against the school, school officials, and a former teammate. Romain, who is Black, alleges he was "sexually assaulted, harassed and humiliated" by three teammates between August 2022 and February 2024, and that the school failed to report the abuse or take action to protect him. The lawsuit also claims Romain was racially targeted and called racial slurs by two teammates.

Why it matters

This case highlights issues of sexual assault, racism, and accountability in elite high school sports programs. The allegations raise questions about the school's response to reported abuse and whether it failed in its duty to protect student-athletes. The lawsuit could have broader implications for how schools handle such sensitive matters.

The details

According to the lawsuit, Romain alleges that teammate Lucca Van Der Woude "approached Plaintiff from behind to ambush and digitally penetrate him" on multiple occasions on the Harvard-Westlake campus. Romain reported the abuse, but the school "did nothing" and "failed to report the abuse, failed to remove the perpetrator, and instead retaliated against the victim." The lawsuit also claims Romain was racially targeted and called the "N" word by Van Der Woude and teammate Connor Kim, who "taunted him with racial slurs" for about five months.

  • The alleged incidents occurred between August 2022 and February 2024.
  • Romain filed the lawsuit on February 27, 2026.

The players

Aidan Romain

A former star water polo player at Harvard-Westlake School who is the plaintiff in the lawsuit.

Lucca Van Der Woude

A former Harvard-Westlake student and teammate of Romain who is accused of sexually assaulting Romain.

Connor Kim

A former Harvard-Westlake student and teammate of Romain who is accused of racially targeting and harassing Romain.

Harvard-Westlake School

The elite Los Angeles prep school where the alleged incidents occurred and which is named as a defendant in the lawsuit.

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What they’re saying

“We have full confidence that the truth will emerge through the proper legal process, and we look forward to presenting Lucca's complete defense. We will have no further comment while this matter is pending.”

— Attorney for Lucca Van Der Woude

“I want to play D1 in college. I want to play professionally in Europe. I didn't think that I would be able to achieve any of my dreams if I wasn't playing water polo at Harvard-Westlake. And so I thought that I just kind of had to endure it.”

— Aidan Romain (Vanity Fair)

“We haven't really slept since October 2023.”

— Alex Romain, Aidan Romain's father (Vanity Fair)

What’s next

The judge will decide whether to allow Lucca Van Der Woude to be released on bail.

The takeaway

This case highlights the need for greater accountability and transparency in how elite high schools handle allegations of sexual assault, harassment, and racism among student-athletes. It raises questions about the school's duty of care and whether it failed to protect a vulnerable student.