ANTI-FLAG Frontman Sued For Sexual Assault

Former Anti-Flag frontman Justin Sane – actual identify Justin Geever – is being sued for sexual assault by a lady named Kristina Sarhadi. In keeping with Rolling Stone, the lawsuit was filed on November 22 in opposition to Sane and Anti-Flag‘s distribution firm Hardwork Distribution, which is owned by Anti-Flag members Pat Thetic (Patrick Bollinger), Chris Head, and Chris No. 2 (Chris Barker).

Sarhadi‘s lawsuit was filed below New York’s Grownup Survivors Act, which was signed by Governor Kathy Hochul in 2022 and creates a one-year window for survivors of sexual assault that occurred once they have been over 18 years previous to sue their abusers no matter when the abuse occurred.

“Justin Geever used his platform as a celebrated, self-proclaimed ‘punk rock star’ to groom and lure weak ladies into feeling protected in his presence,” Sarhadi says in a press release. “Whereas he sang about defending girls and standing as much as abusers, it seems he was hiding an dependancy to energy and management, harming numerous girls who’ve been unable to talk up prior to now. At present I hope to encourage his survivors, and survivors of different predators within the music trade, to really feel hope once more.”

Sarhadi initially got here ahead with allegations in opposition to Geever in July 2023 in an episode of the Sufficient podcast. Sarhadi stated Geever sexually assaulted her in October 2010 when she was 22 years previous, saying partly: “It was probably the most terrifying factor I’ve ever skilled. I am unable to stress how violent he was and the way a lot I totally believed I used to be going to die, that he was going to kill me.”

Sarhadi is hardly the primary girl to talk up in opposition to Geever, as 12 separate women have voiced similar accusations – although some say they have been as younger as 15 years previous once they have been assaulted. Anti-Flag launched a statement around that same time (after breaking up in July), saying partly: “To Justin, we consider you might be very sick and in want of great skilled assist. We need to have compassion and place confidence in restorative justice, however fuck you for hurting so many individuals, not simply those who’ve bravely come ahead, however anybody nonetheless carrying their ache internally.”

The lawsuit contains Hardwork Distribution as Sarhadi claims the band “ought to have identified” about Geever‘s misdeeds and that they “had an obligation of cheap care to enact insurance policies and procedures to guard followers.”

“The choice to file a lawsuit takes nice braveness and is usually not potential for thus many survivors of sexual assault,” says Sarhadi‘s legal professional, Karen Barth Menzies. “Accountability is barely attainable when survivors get up for themselves and one another.”

“I predict that in 5 years the music trade will likely be considered the identical means because the Catholic Church or the Boy Scouts — a strong drive that additionally enabled and shielded sexual predators for many years,” stated Sarhadi‘s different legal professional, Dr. Ann Olivarius. “‘Medication, intercourse & rock ‘n roll’ was a actuality that meant a whole lot of younger girls received abused. The bands had handlers who made all of it occur and executives who lined all of it up as a result of a lot cash relied on it.”