Lucca Van der Woude, son of Hollywood director Thomas ‘Basti’ van der Woude, has been banned from U.S. Olympic-sanctioned competitions for three years following an admission of sexual assault and use of racial slurs. The U.S. Center for SafeSport suspended Van der Woude for “sexual misconduct, emotional and physical misconduct; criminal disposition.” An arbitrator confirmed the suspension on Aug. 26, following an appeal by Van der Woude, who had initially been permanently suspended in March 2025.
The ruling comes more than two years after complaints were filed with SafeSport alleging Van der Woude sexually assaulted two teammates at the prestigious Harvard-Westlake School and with the LA Premier club on multiple occasions. He admitted in Los Angeles County Juvenile Division Court on Nov. 7, 2024, to sexual penetration with a foreign object against a minor, according to court, probation, and SafeSport records.
Van der Woude also admitted under oath to using the N-word to racially berate a teammate at school and during water polo practices. The allegations in a lawsuit filed in Los Angeles Superior Court in March by attorneys for former teammate Aidan Romain also allege that Van der Woude directed racial slurs at Romain.
Harvard-Westlake School, which charges annual tuition of $54,900, has disputed allegations that it failed to protect students. The school has rejected the characterization of its conduct, stating it “unequivocally disputes many of these allegations that mischaracterize facts and the school’s actions.” Attorneys for Romain allege in their lawsuit that Harvard-Westlake officials failed to contact law enforcement or child protective services after Romain and another student reported the assaults.
Daniel Watkins, an attorney for Romain, stated that the SafeSport decision should compel the school to address the allegations. "First, the LAPD believed Aidan. Then Los Angeles County Deputy District Attorney Brian Hettinger. Then a judge. Now SafeSport, after its own independent process, has found Lucca van der Woude responsible for sexually assaulting a minor and banned him for three years," Watkins told SCNG. "Harvard-Westlake should listen now."
Van der Woude transferred to Newport Harbor High School in Orange County before the 2024-25 academic year and helped its water polo team win a CIF Southern Section title. He later played for Golden West College after UCLA rescinded a provisional offer following a March 2025 report detailing his arrest and the allegations. Despite his SafeSport suspension, Van der Woude remains eligible to compete in California junior college athletics, as the 3C2A, which governs those sports, does not automatically bar athletes suspended by SafeSport.
John Manly, an attorney representing survivors in other cases, commented on the situation, stating, "The fact that Golden West let him play, just shows that it’s still all about wins, money and medals and it doesn’t seem that these (schools) have learned anything from the Larry Nassar case."
Van der Woude was temporarily suspended by SafeSport in January 2025 while the center investigated the complaints and was initially permanently suspended on March 27, 2025. After his appeal, an arbitrator upheld a three-year suspension. SafeSport also placed him on probation for three years and issued a no-contact directive. With credit for time already served, Van der Woude will be eligible to participate in events sanctioned by the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee and its national governing bodies again in March 2028. Van der Woude does not appear in SafeSport’s public disciplinary database because his violations occurred while he was a minor. This means his suspension is not publicly accessible through that database.