The son of a Hollywood director is challenging a lawsuit filed by a water polo player who has accused him of sexual assault and racism. Lucca Van der Woude's legal team has filed a motion to strike significant portions of Aidan Romain's complaint, alleging that it contains "groundless and irrelevant references" and improperly uses sealed juvenile court records.
According to court documents obtained by The California Post, Van der Woude's attorneys have flagged 72 sections of Romain's complaint for removal. These sections reportedly include "highly disparaging comments, news articles, sealed and confidential records of juvenile proceedings," and the alleged disclosure of confidential student records. The motion was filed with Judge Lauren A. R. Lofton ahead of a scheduled Aug. 6 hearing.
Romain's complaint accuses Van der Woude of grabbing his buttocks and digitally penetrating him. The suit also alleges that Van der Woude and other teammates subjected Romain to racism, including the use of racial slurs. Van der Woude was arrested in February on suspicion of sexual assault at the elite Harvard-Westlake school they both attended. He was admitted to juvenile court in November 2024 for sexual penetration with a foreign object against a minor under a plea deal, though the specific charge involving Romain was later dropped.
A central point of contention is the complaint's reference to a report in the Orange County Register. Van der Woude's legal team seeks to strike reporting that states he "admitted in Los Angeles County Juvenile Division Court … to sexual penetration with a foreign object (digital penetration) against a minor" as part of a plea agreement. The defense argues that using media reports based on confidential juvenile records does not legitimize their inclusion in civil proceedings.
"Plaintiff’s reliance on the OC Register Article as the conduit for pleading the substance of the juvenile proceedings does not provide an independent basis for inclusion of this information," the filing states. "Media reporting that itself draws upon confidential juvenile records does not launder those records into usable civil allegations, nor does it create a 'public domain' exception to section."
Other sections targeted for removal involve allegations of racism and antisemitism against Van der Woude. The complaint reportedly includes claims that Van der Woude expressed "racist, antisemitic, and white-nationalist beliefs during the period in which he sexually and physically abused Plaintiff and other students." An anonymous witness is cited as telling Romain's attorney that Van der Woude had a history of making antisemitic remarks and using slurs against a Jewish peer.
Further allegations in the lawsuit describe an incident in the weight room where Romain claims Van der Woude and a teammate "whipped" him with a jump rope in a manner described as a "re-enactment of slavery," while saying, "Get back to work!" Romain also stated that Van der Woude "constantly dehumanized" him and regularly used the N-word.
Van der Woude's attorneys have stated their intention not to litigate the matter in the media. "Mr. Van der Woude’s denials and other responses will be clear and unambiguous in his defense to the Complaint at hand," they said.
Efforts to resolve the objections during pre-trial discussions failed, with Van der Woude's legal team noting an "impasse on several key issues" as recently as July 2. Court proceedings in Romain's lawsuit against Van der Woude, Harvard-Westlake, and school officials are expected to continue next month.