Bills punting phenom Matt Araiza is one of three defendants in a lawsuit alleging gang rape, according to the Los Angeles Times.
The alleged incident reportedly occurred while Araiza was attending San Diego State University.
Matt Araiza #2 of the San Diego State Aztecs kicks the ball against the Boise State Broncos on November 26, 2021, at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California. (Tom Hauck/Getty Images)
The civil suit alleges that the incident occurred at an off-campus party when the accuser was 17 years old.
Araiza’s lawyers, however, believe the accusations are false.
“It’s a shakedown because he’s now with the Buffalo Bills,” attorney Kerry Armstrong told the Los Angeles Times. “There is no doubt in my mind that Matt Araiza ever raped that girl.”
Matt Araiza #19 of the Buffalo Bills punts during Bills training camp at Saint John Fisher University on July 24, 2022, in Pittsford, New York. (Joshua Bessex/Getty Images)
The NFL’s Personal Conduct Policy precludes them from taking any action regarding an incident before a player joins the NFL. Though, the league could consider a player’s past infractions if he violates the conduct policy while in the NFL, Pro Football Talk reports.
Even though the timing of the alleged incident falls out of the league’s purview, the Bills announced that they have looked into the matter.
“We were recently made aware of a civil complaint involving Matt from October 2021,” the Bills said in a statement on Thursday. “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.”
A previous Los Angeles Times report claimed that San Diego State waited seven months before launching an investigation into the alleged incident.