Lucca Van der Woude, the son of Hollywood director Thomas Van der Woude, admitted under oath that he used racial slurs, including the N-word, during his time at Harvard-Westlake, an elite Los Angeles high school. His admissions came in a deposition related to accusations of sexual and racial assault made by a former teammate, Aidan Romain.
Van der Woude was expelled from Harvard-Westlake in February 2024 following his arrest related to the allegations. He was subsequently banned from campus and unable to return for classes or sports. He later transferred to Newport Harbor High School before the 2024-25 academic year, where he was cleared to compete. His new team went on to win the CIF Southern Section Open Division championship.
In his August 6 deposition, Van der Woude acknowledged using the N-word while in high school, including during school and water polo practices. He stated he was never disciplined for this behavior. When asked by Romain's attorney if he had ever used the slur, Van der Woude responded, "Like, have I ever said it? Yes." He also recalled apologizing to Romain for his use of the slur, explaining it was "because it, like, offended his, like, race and culture." When asked how he knew Romain was offended, Van der Woude stated, "Because he is African-American."
Romain's lawsuit alleges a more disturbing pattern of behavior. It claims Van der Woude repeatedly sexually assaulted him and subjected him to months of racial abuse. The suit details an incident where Van der Woude and another player allegedly "whipped" Romain with a jump rope in the weight room, re-enacting slavery and telling him, "Get back to work!" The suit also states that Romain was taunted with racial slurs and called the N-word nearly every day for approximately five months by the pair.
Romain alleges that Harvard-Westlake officials were informed of Van der Woude's alleged actions by him and another student, but that the school failed to contact law enforcement or child protective services as required by law. Van der Woude was later ordered by juvenile court to pay Romain's family $49,266 in restitution.
Van der Woude's water polo career has been impacted by the scandal. He had committed to UCLA, but the university rescinded his provisional admission after a March 2025 report detailed his arrest and the allegations against him. He played water polo at Golden West College last season instead. Despite the ongoing legal issues, Van der Woude continued to represent the U.S. internationally, mentoring top young players at a USA Water Polo camp in December 2024.