Lucca Van der Woude, a member of the Newport Harbor High School varsity water polo team in Orange County, California, continues to participate in competitions and serve in mentorship roles, despite being recognized as a sex offender and being under a no-contact order.

1. Newport Harbor Water Polo player admitted to sexual battery over a span of 16 months.

2. This same athlete admitted to using racial slurs and was disciplined at Harvard Westlake.

3. Harvard Westlake failed to report the sexual abuse to parents or law enforcement, and the athlete was only arrested after a second victim came forward.

4. Newport Harbor High School, together with Varsity Coach and Teacher Ross Sinclair and Principal Sean Boulton, permitted the athlete to transfer despite the serious allegations surrounding the situation. This decision raises further questions about the school's commitment to athlete safety and the protocols in place to address such allegations appropriately.

5. CIF Commissioner Mike West, alongside Assistant Commissioner Kristine Palle, who is responsible for overseeing water polo, sanctioned the transfer despite the existing policy that prohibits transfers for individuals with pending or previous disciplinary actions.

6. A no-contact order was issued between the athlete and two victims; despite this, USA Water Polo allowed the athlete to have contact with the victims on over 23 occasions.

7. USA Water Polo's publicly stated that the athlete would "coach and mentor" younger players at an overseas event.

8. Lucca Van der Woude was recruited by UCLA coaches Adam Wright, Jason Falitz, and Matt Kubrick, despite their awareness of the sex offender case.

9. The athlete is currently on the USA Water Polo National League roster.

This is a critical systemic issue that demands urgent attention. If governing institutions such as Harvard Westlake, Newport Harbor, and USA Water Polo fail to uphold the safeguards and policies intended to protect athletes, what purpose do these measures serve? It is crucial for USA Water Polo CEO Jamie Davis, along with all involved organizations, to take significant actions that prioritize the safety of our athletes.

Why implement safety protocols at the high school level if they are inconsistently enforced or outright disregarded? Coach Ross Sinclair of Newport Harbor and Principal Sean Boulton have failed the Newport Harbor High School Water Polo Team, the Newport Water Polo Club, and the students and families connected with the high school, not to mention the broader community.

Have the lessons from Coach Bahram Hojreh's and USA Water Polo sexual abuse case gone unheeded? A group of twelve female water polo players who accused their coach of sexual misconduct will share nearly $14 million following a lawsuit settlement against USA Water Polo and a California club. These athletes contended that the national governing body failed to shield them from abuse perpetrated by Coach Bahram Hojreh from 2012 to 2017. Hojreh has been permanently barred from participating in water polo by SafeSport and is one of ten individuals associated with USA Water Polo who have been banned from the sport since 2018 due to criminal issues.