Hollywood directors son blasted by sports watchdog as ritzy school refuses to accept blame: Clear and present danger

The son of a Hollywood director, who was once a promising Olympic water polo player, has been banned from U.S.Olympic-sanctioned competitions for three years after admitting to sexual assault with a foreign object — specifically digital penetration against a minor.Lucca Van der Woude also admitted under oath he used the N-word to racially berate a teammate at school and water polo practices.

Van der Woude is the son of director Thomas ‘Basti’ van der Woude, who is credited with working on Battleship, Star Trek: Nemesis and HNO’s Westworld.Meanwhile, the prestigious private school he attended — Harvard-Westlake School, which charges $54,900 a year in tuition — continues to dispute allegations that it failed to protect students.Van der Woude, a former standout on the U.S.

national youth water polo team, was suspended by the U.S.Center for SafeSport for “sexual misconduct, emotional and physical misconduct; criminal disposition,” according to SafeSport documents reported by the Orange County Register.An arbitrator confirmed the suspension on Aug.

26 following an appeal by Van der Woude, who was permanently suspended by SafeSport in March 2025.The ruling came more than two years after complaints were filed with SafeSport alleging Van der Woude sexually assaulted two Harvard-Westlake School and LA Premier club teammates on multiple occasions.Van der Woude 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.Orange County attorney John Manly, who has represented many survivors of former U.S.

Olympic gymnastics team doctor Larry Nassar, said that while children can make mistakes, some situations need more transparency.“There are some individuals who present a clear and present danger,” Manly said while discussing SafeSport’s policy surrounding violations committed by minors, rather than van der Woude’s case specifi...