A former high school water polo player has filed a lawsuit alleging repeated sexual abuse and racial harassment within an elite California program, as one of the accused athletes remains out of public view following the claims, as reported by The New York Post.

The lawsuit, filed last month, centers on allegations made by Aidan Romain, a former member of the Harvard-Westlake School water polo team in Studio City.

Romain alleges that teammate Lucca Van der Woude subjected him to ongoing abuse while they were both minors participating in the program.

Van der Woude, 18, is described as a former standout player who had been considered a potential Olympic prospect.

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He is the son of Thomas “Basti” Van der Woude, a longtime assistant director in Hollywood who has worked on productions including “Thor: The Dark World,” “Fast & Furious 5,” “Battleship,” and the television series “Fear the Walking Dead.”

According to the lawsuit, Romain, identified as the only black player on the team, alleges he endured months of racial harassment and sexual abuse from Van der Woude during practices and team-related activities.

“It was very difficult on a daily basis to deal with the racial abuse and the sexual abuse,” Romain told ABC 7 Eyewitness News.

“The racial abuse and sexual abuse was a daily basis thing. It happened in nearly every training; it would happen many times daily, sometimes outside of the pool. So, it was certainly a difficult experience.”

The lawsuit states that Van der Woude was arrested on campus in February 2024 and later admitted in juvenile court to sexual penetration of a minor with a foreign object.

Romain’s complaint also names another player, Connor Kim, now a water polo athlete at Harvard University, as having participated in racially abusive behavior. Kim’s attorney, Lillian Chu, disputed the allegations.

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“Although Connor is not a named defendant in this case, it’s important to point out that these claims and the assertion that he admitted to wrongdoing are simply not true,” Chu said.

Van der Woude’s attorney, Michael Artan, previously stated that the allegations would be addressed through the legal process.

“Mr. Van Der Woude’s denials and other responses will be clear and unambiguous in his defense to the complaint at hand,” Artan said, adding that there is no intention to “litigate this matter in the media.”

When contacted, Van der Woude’s mother, Nilda, told a reporter, “Speak with our attorney.” She said her son was not home but remained in the area.

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The lawsuit further alleges that school officials and coaches were notified multiple times about the alleged misconduct but failed to intervene.

It also describes incidents involving teammates allegedly using exercise bands to strike Romain in what is described as a “re-enactment of slavery.”

In addition, the complaint claims Van der Woude violated a court-ordered no-contact order on 23 occasions by appearing at the same water polo events as Romain.

Harvard-Westlake School issued a statement disputing aspects of the allegations.

“The school treated reports of inappropriate behavior in its water polo program with urgency and seriousness, promptly initiating an investigation and complying with its mandatory reporting obligations,” the statement said.

The school also stated it “unequivocally disputes many of these allegations that mischaracterize facts and the school’s actions.”

Separately, longtime water polo coach Jack Grover is reportedly under investigation by the U.S. Center for SafeSport regarding whether abuse claims were properly reported.

Romain is currently living in Barcelona, Spain, where he continues training. He has expressed plans to return to the United States to attend an Ivy League school and pursue Olympic aspirations.

“Part of the reason why I’m speaking up and standing up for myself is so that others don’t have to be in these kinds of situations,” Romain said.