An 18-year-old water polo player with goals of playing professionally in Europe is now putting his career on hold as he files a California Superior Court Lawsuit against former teammates of his at Harvard-Westlake High School.
Aidan Roman, who was 14-years-old during the beginning of the alleged series of harassment, claims the private school “knew about it” and “did nothing to stop it.”
His lawyer is accusing former-teammates Lucca Van Der Woude and Connor Kim (both 18) with repeated racial harassment, with use of slurs and racist actions which reportedly includes an enactment of the two “whipping” Roman in a cruel “joke” resembling slavery, according to the lawsuit.
Kim was not named as a defendant in the case, however, as the lawsuit is centered around the accused sexually explicit actions Van Der Woude would forcefully harass Roman with.
According to the complaint, the alleged abuse took place between 2022 and 2024, mainly in locker rooms and team facilities. Roman says he was singled out as the only freshman on the varsity team being the youngest made him especially vulnerable. The lawsuit claims the behavior was not a one-time incident but something that continued over time. It also alleges that other teammates were aware of what was happening, contributing to what was described as a hostile and degrading environment.
Roman and his legal team argue that school administrators did not take sufficient action after being informed of the situation. The complaint states that the school failed to properly investigate or step in to stop the behavior, allowing it to continue. It also alleges that after Roman reported the incidents, he experienced negative consequences including repeated denial and accusations of his struggles and intentions based on the case.
In response, Harvard-Westlake High School said in a statement that it takes allegations of misconduct seriously. The school maintains that it followed appropriate procedures, including reporting the matter and cooperating with law enforcement. It has denied any wrongdoing.
The case has gained attention not only because of the seriousness of the allegations but also due to the reputation of the school’s athletic programs. It highlights broader concerns about oversight in competitive youth sports and raises questions about how institutions handle reports of misconduct involving student athletes.
Roman is seeking damages for emotional distress, as well as for the effect the alleged abuse has had on his academic and athletic future, as the case moves forward in the court system as Roman’s side hopes to bring the case past Los Angeles county.