Anti-Flag Frontman Justin Sane Sued for Sexual Assault

Anti-Flag's Justin Sane is being sued by a woman for sexual assault in a lawsuit that comes four months after the punk band broke up following allegations of predatory behavior against the former frontman.

In a lawsuit filed in New York and obtained by The Messenger, Kristina Sarhadi, a New York holistic therapist and health coach, accused Sane — real name Justin Geever — of strangling her, forcing her to perform oral sex on him and raping her in October 2010.

Sarhadi said she met Geever while attending an Anti-Flag concert in Brooklyn. He later invited her to a party and then to his motel room under the guise of listening to an unreleased song, where he allegedly restrained her and forced himself on her.

"When she could breathe, she repeatedly pleaded with him to stop," the complaint alleges. "She was shocked and crying. He was mean and violent with Plaintiff; she did not matter and was just an object for him to dominate."

Sarhadi is suing Geever and Anti-Flag's distribution company for unspecified damages. The lawsuit was filed on Wednesday under the Adult Survivors Act, a law that expired Thursday which gave plaintiffs a one-year window to file civil claims for sexual offenses outside the statute of limitations.

A representative for Geever did not immediately respond to The Messenger's request for comment.

Sarhadi first detailed her claims against Geever on the Enough podcast in July, although she did not name him at the time. "It was the most terrifying thing I've ever experienced," she said. "I can't stress how violent he was and how much I fully believed I was going to die, that he was going to kill me."

Anti-Flag broke up shortly afterward. "A core tenet of the band Anti-Flag is to listen to and believe all survivors of sexual violence and abuse. The recent allegations about Justin are in direct contradiction to that tenet. Therefore, we felt the only immediate option was to disband," members Chris Barker, Chris Head and Pat Thetic said in a statement.

Geever also issued a statement denying the allegations. "Recently, there have been claims of sexual assault made against me and I can tell you that these stories are categorically false," he said. "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."

In September, 12 more women came forward to accuse Geever of rape, sexual assault and predatory behavior in incidents dating from the 1990s to 2020.

"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," Sarhadi told Rolling Stone in a statement.

"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."

If you or someone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, help is available 24 hours a day through RAINN's National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-4673.