BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — The Buffalo Bills announced Saturday the team had made the decision to "part ways" with rookie punter Matt Araiza after he was named in a civil lawsuit by a California woman accusing him and two former teammates at San Diego State University of "gang raping" her when she was 17 years old.
General manager Brandon Beane announced Araiza's release at a press conference with head coach Sean McDermott after the team's practice on Saturday.
According to the lawsuit filed Thursday in San Diego Superior Court, the alleged incident occurred at a Halloween party on October 17, 2021 when the alleged victim was a high school student.
Dan Gilleon, who is representing the alleged victim, provided the following statement to 7 News on Thursday:"This was a horrific crime, the kind of which happens all too often. What makes these crimes different is not only that they were committed by self-entitled athletes. Just as awful as the crimes, for months, multiple organizations — SDSU, the San Diego Police Department, the San Diego District Attorney, and now the Buffalo Bills — have acted the part of enablers looking the other way in denial that my client deserves justice even if the defendants are prized athletes."
Kerry Armstrong, a San Diego-based attorney representing Araiza in a potential criminal case, told 7 News Sports Director Matt Bove on Thursday that the accusations are completely false. Armstrong added that he has been in communication with the Bills regarding Araiza prior to this week.
Araiza released a statement later in the week, saying in part, "the facts of the incident are not what they are portrayed in the lawsuit or in the press."
“I find it very interesting that the suit was filed just a few days after he made the team," Armstrong said. "My investigator has talked to numerous people who were at the house that night, including at least one of this girl's friends who came with her to — I don't even want to call it a party it wasn't really a party it was just a gathering of football players and some of their friends — but I've read these reports and based on everything I've read, this girl was definitely not raped by Matt Araiza."
A spokesperson for the Bills sent the following statement to 7 News on Thursday:“We were recently made aware of a civil complaint involving Matt from October 2021. Due to the serious nature of the complaint, we conducted a thorough examination of this matter. As this is an ongoing civil case, we will have no other comment at this point."
The Bills drafted Araiza in the sixth round this year. On August 22, the Bills released Matt Haack, who was the team's punter last season, clearing the way for Araiza to win the punting job.
