A surfing enthusiast from Long Beach has filed a lawsuit against the Long Beach Unified School District, claiming they failed to protect him after he faced severe assault, death threats, and accusations of being a “pedophile” from his high school surfing teammates.
William Frey, a member of Wilson High School’s surfing team, asserts that in April 2025, he was brutally attacked by two teammates, including Owen Keller. The lawsuit indicates that Keller’s aggression stemmed from an incident where he was upset with Frey for spending time with his sister.
On April 17, 2025, while Frey was at home with Keller’s sister, Ainsley, they received a threatening call from Owen. Reportedly, he demanded to know Ainsley’s whereabouts and issued threats against Frey himself. “Tell that mother that if you’re with me, I’m going to beat him,” Owen allegedly said. Soon after, Keller showed up at Frey’s house, making threats.
Keller was initially told to leave but returned half an hour later with two other teammates, Samuel Katz and Joseph Giroli. They reportedly broke in through a damaged door and shouted threats at Frey. Frey sought refuge in his garage, but Katz is said to have forced entry, leading to a physical assault on Frey, during which he was struck repeatedly.
While witnesses managed to separate the attackers from Frey, he fled from them as they pursued him in a vehicle. Eventually, he found safety in a neighbor’s yard before returning home. Following the assault, police documented Frey’s injuries, which included multiple bruises and cuts.
The suit claims that Frey’s home also sustained over $5,000 in damages, including a broken television. After the attack, Keller allegedly continued to threaten Frey through text messages, and video of the incident was shared on social media, reaching the wider school community.
Frey’s mother, Celinda Bradley, alerted school officials about Keller’s ongoing threats shortly after the incident. Wilson High School principal Rebecca Caverly was informed but, despite providing evidence of the threats, Assistant Principal Keith Roberson reportedly claimed they couldn’t act because the assault happened off-campus.
On April 25, 2025, a temporary restraining order was issued against the three accused attackers, but the lawsuit suggests that the school administration did little to enforce it. Frey faced harassment from classmates and was subjected to further threats, leading the school to implement a “safety plan” that required him to alter his schedule.
Despite the restraining order, Keller, Katz, and Giroli were allowed to continue their studies, leaving Frey feeling unsafe. As a result, Frey became socially isolated and experienced significant mental health issues, according to the lawsuit. The parents of the attackers are also named in the suit, which seeks damages yet to be determined in court.
The Long Beach Unified School District and the accused students have not commented on the matter. Frey has since relocated to Santa Barbara and is now attending Santa Barbara City College.
