Punk rockers Anti-Flag have been rocked by scandal after their former frontman Justin Sane is being sued for alleged sexual assault. Justin Geever, better known as Justin Sane, was the lead singer of the politically-charged punk rock band from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania until July of this year.
Kristina Sarhadi, a New York holistic therapist and health coach, has filed a lawsuit against Geever and the band’s distribution company for an unspecified amount. In a statement, Sarhadi has said she felt Geever used his platform “to groom and lure vulnerable girls into feeling safe in his presence” while he sang about protecting women and standing up to abusers.
The lawsuit alleges that Geever invited Sarhadi into his motel room and restrained and strangled her, before forcing her to perform oral sex on him. Neither Geever nor his former bandmates have responded to requests for comment.
In July, the band announced their sudden split without giving any kind of explanation, deleting all of their social media accounts and their official website. On the same day, an episode of the podcast Enough was released, in which a woman spoke about being raped by a singer in a political punk band. This was later confirmed to be Sarhadi.
Geever issued a statement claiming the allegations are false and that the decision to disband was made as it would have been impossible to continue under the circumstances. The rest of the band also issued a statement saying they’d been shocked and heartbroken and apologized for not responding quickly enough.
Since then, twelve more women have come forward to allege that Geever had sexually assaulted them in incidents that date from the 90s to as recently as 2020. Some of these incidents allegedly involved teenagers, including one 12-year-old (though Geever was a teenager at the time).
The news has been a shock to the music world and Anti-Flag fans alike. If you or someone you know has experienced sexual assault or harassment, there are organisations available that can provide help, advice and support. In the UK, visit the Rape Crisis website, and in the US, visit RAINN.
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