- The Buffalo Bills released punter Matt Araiza after a lawsuit detailed rape allegations against him.
- In the lawsuit filed Thursday, the alleged victim said she was assaulted by Araiza when she was 17 and he was 21.
- Araiza and his attorney have denied the allegations, calling them "just untrue."
The Buffalo Bills released punter Matt Araiza after a civil lawsuit detailed rape allegations against him, claiming he assaulted an underage girl while he was in college.
Bills general manager Brandon Beane and coach Sean McDermott made the announcement Saturday, saying it would be best for Araiza to "focus" on the accusations against him.
"At this time, we just think it's the best move for everyone to move on from Matt and let him take care of this situation and focus on that. So, we're gonna part ways there," Beane said at a news conference, per Buffalo News.
The lawsuit filed Thursday detailed the account of an individual who said she was raped by Araiza at a Halloween party off-campus of San Diego State University on October 17, 2021, according to NBC News.
The suit said that Araiza, then 21 and playing for SDSU, gave alcohol to a 17-year-old girl and asked her for oral sex before he had intercourse with her. He then took her to a bedroom, where she was gang-raped by him and two other SDSU football players, the lawsuit said.
The girl reported the attack to police and did a rape kit, according to NBC. The San Diego Police Department did not make any arrests, but it did forward the results of its investigation to the local district attorney.
On Friday, Araiza denied the accusations in his first public comments on the allegations.
"The facts of the incident are not what they are portrayed in the lawsuit or in the press. I look forward to quickly setting the record straight," Araiza said, per ESPN.
Criminal attorney Kerry Armstrong, who is representing Araiza, told ESPN that Araiza spoke with the 17-year-old at the party but that the rape accusations are "just untrue."
"I am sure he is very upset and disappointed that his career with the Bills ended not because he played poorly, but because of false allegations leveled against him by a young lady and her attorney. I hope he is back in the NFL soon," Armstrong said in a statement to ESPN.
Attorney Dan Gilleon, who is representing the alleged victim, said that Araiza confirmed that he had intercourse with the alleged victim because he called her the next day, telling her to get tested because he tested positive for chlamydia.
"He was apologetic," Gilleon said in an interview, according to NBC 7 San Diego.