LONG BEACH, CA – A former Wilson High School surfing standout has filed a major lawsuit against the Long Beach Unified School District (LBUSD), alleging school officials failed to protect him after a brutal off-campus assault by his own teammates.
The lawsuit, filed by 17-year-old William Frey and his mother Celinda Bradley, names the school district, Wilson High Principal Rebecca Caverly, Assistant Principal Keith Roberson, and three teenage teammates along with their parents as defendants.
The April 2025 Assault
According to court documents obtained from the filing, the incident began on April 17, 2025. The lawsuit alleges that teammate Owen Keller became enraged because Frey was spending time with Keller’s 15-year-old sister.
The filing states that Keller, along with teammates Samuel Katz and Joseph Ziroli, illegally entered Frey’s family home through a back door. Katz and Keller then reportedly cornered Frey in the garage, punching and kicking him 15 to 20 times each, while Ziroli allegedly recorded the assault.
Long Beach Police later documented Frey’s injuries, which included head swelling and deep bruising, as well as over $5,000 in property damage to the home.
On-Campus Harassment and Death Threats
The lawsuit claims the video of the beating was widely circulated on the surf team’s Snapchat channel and throughout the school. Following the attack, Frey was repeatedly subjected to severe harassment on campus, with classmates branding him a “pedophile” due to his friendship with the 15-year-old student.
On May 5, 2025, an anonymous death threat stating, “I’m going to kill William Frey,” was submitted through Wilson High School’s official “Say Something” reporting application.
School District’s Alleged Failure to Act
According to the lawsuit, when Frey’s mother reported the initial threats, Assistant Principal Keith Roberson stated little could be done because the assault occurred off-campus.
Even after Los Angeles Superior Court issued a temporary restraining order requiring the attackers to stay 25 yards away from Frey, the district allegedly failed to enforce it. The lawsuit states that:
- The three alleged attackers were permitted to continue all classes and senior activities.
- The defendants remained active participants in the shared surf class.
- The school’s “safety plan” required the victim, Frey, to arrive 10 minutes late and leave 10 minutes early.
Current Status
Due to the ongoing hostile environment, the lawsuit states Frey isolated himself socially and suffered severe mental health consequences. The temporary restraining orders were eventually dismissed, and Frey has since relocated from the Long Beach area to attend college.
The plaintiffs are seeking general, special, punitive, and compensatory damages in amounts to be established at trial. Requests for comment from LBUSD and the named defendants were not immediately returned.
