A former water polo player at Harvard-Westlake School in Los Angeles has filed a lawsuit alleging he was subjected to racial harassment and sexual assault by a teammate during his time at the prestigious private institution.

According to the lawsuit, Aidan Romain joined the water polo team at age 14 in August 2022, and the alleged abuse began at his first practice. The legal filing claims that a teammate, identified as Van der Woude, along with another player, regularly used racial slurs against Romain.

The lawsuit alleges that Van der Woude and the teammate referred to Romain using a shortened version of a racial slur "virtually every single day for five months." The complaint describes a pattern of harassment that continued throughout Romain's tenure on the team.

In addition to the racial harassment allegations, the lawsuit also claims Romain was sexually assaulted by the same teammate. The legal document characterizes the treatment as reducing Romain to the status of a slave, according to the filing.

Harvard-Westlake School is known as one of Los Angeles' most prominent private educational institutions, serving students from affluent families in the area. The school has not yet responded publicly to the allegations contained in the lawsuit.

The case highlights ongoing concerns about hazing and abuse in high school athletic programs, particularly at elite private institutions. The lawsuit seeks unspecified damages for the alleged abuse.