Son of Hollywood director accused of years of sexual, racial abuse of water polo teammate at ritzy prep school A civil lawsuit filed by Aidan Romain alleges that he was subjected to years of racial and sexual abuse by water polo teammates at Harvard-Westlake, including Lucca Van Der Woude, the son of a Hollywood director. The suit claims the school’s staff and administration normalized this behavior, with Van Der Woude admitting to sexual penetration in a plea agreement and ordered to pay restitution, though he denies the broader allegations.

• Aidan Romain is suing Harvard-Westlake School and water polo teammate Lucca Van Der Woude for alleged racial and sexual abuse.
• The lawsuit claims the abuse occurred from August 2022 to February 2024, often in the presence of school staff.
• Van Der Woude, son of a Hollywood assistant director, admitted to digital penetration and was ordered to pay $50,000 in restitution to Romain.
• Romain alleges consistent use of the N-word and physical abuse with references to slavery.
• Van Der Woude’s attorney denies all allegations, stating they are false and will be disproven.
• The lawsuit also names the school president and water polo head, alleging the school knew of and failed to act on the abuse.