Former Anti-Flag vocalist Justin Sane (aka Justin Geever) and his ex-bandmates in the activist punk rock outfit are the target of a new lawsuit filed by Kristina Sarhadi. This past July, Anti-Flag called it quits in the wake of a then anonymous allegation of sexual assault put forth on a podcast by Sarhadi. While that initial recounting of the incident didn’t mention Sane or the band by name by name, it didn’t take long for those familiar with the group to put two and two together.
Following that allegation and the band’s subsequent dissolution, Anti-Flag‘s final lineup and Sane issued dueling statements. While the band condemned the behavior allegedly committed by Sane, they went on to say that they had never witnessed it firsthand. In their statement, they offered in part:
“While we believe this is extremely serious, in the last 30 years we have never seen Justin be violent or aggressive toward women. This experience has shaken us to our core.”
Sane meanwhile would deny the allegations made against him, saying in part:
“Recently, there have been claims of sexual assault made against me and I can tell you that these stories are categorically false. I have never engaged in a sexual relationship that was not consensual, nor have I ever been approached by a woman after a sexual encounter and been told I had in any way acted without her consent or violated her in any way.”
Sarhadi‘s initial allegations however proved to be the tip of the iceberg, with over a dozen women later coming forth with further disturbing allegations of their own against Sane, including claims of sexual assault, statutory rape, grooming and more dating as far back as the 1990s.
In light of that story, which was published by Rolling Stone, the now former members of the band’s final lineup—sans Sane—would go on to publicly condemn Sane, while stating that they stood with the women who came forward.
Now Rolling Stone report that Sarhadi filed suit today, November 22nd, in a New York court. Sane is named as the defendant in that suit, as is the band’s distribution company, Hardwork Distribution, of which the the band’s final lineup are registered members.
In addition to seeking unspecified damages for the allegations of sexual assault she previously leveled publicly against Sane, Sarhadi also opted to take action against the band’s distribution company, stating that “they should have known” about Sane‘s alleged actions and “had a duty of reasonable care to enact policies and procedures to protect fans.”
This lawsuit was filed under New York’s Adult Survivors Act, which has provided a temporary one-year window for victims of alleged sexual misconduct and abuse to waive the statute of limitations on civil lawsuits being filed against their alleged abusers.
Sarhadi said in a statement:
“Justin Geever used his platform as a celebrated, self-proclaimed ‘punk rock star’ to groom and lure vulnerable girls into feeling safe in his presence. While he sang about protecting women and standing up to abusers, it appears he was hiding an addiction to power and control, harming countless women who have been unable to speak up before now. Today I hope to encourage his survivors, and survivors of other predators in the music industry, to feel hope again.”
