CNN
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NFL rookie punter Matt Araiza was fired by the Buffalo Bills after he and two other football players were accused in a lawsuit last year of raping a then 17-year-old girl during an off-campus party at San Diego State University .
“This afternoon we decided it was best to release Matt Araiza. Our culture in Buffalo is more important than winning football games,” announced Brandon Beane, the team’s general manager, on Saturday.
Araiza and two other current or former San Diego State University soccer players are accused of raping the girl at a Halloween party last year, according to a lawsuit filed Thursday by the plaintiff’s attorney, which court documents describe as ” Jane Doe” was identified.
Araiza and his co-defendants Zavier Leonard and Nowlin “Pa’a” Ewaliko were on the San Diego State soccer team at the time of the alleged incident last October.
Araiza’s attorney, Kerry Armstrong, told CNN Friday that his client did not rape the accuser.
“The facts of the incident are not what they are presented in the lawsuit or in the press. I look forward to setting the record straight quickly,” Araiza said in a statement issued by his attorney.
Jane Doe says she attended a party with friends in the San Diego area but got separated from them when she met Araiza, the allegation said. The filing further alleges that Araiza “observed that Doe was heavily intoxicated” and “handed her a drink anyway.”
“Doe informed Araiza that she attends Grossmont High School. Araiza, who was 21, knew or should have known that Doe was a minor,” the complaint said.
Araiza’s lawyer denied the allegation, saying: “He never used force against her. She wasn’t visibly drunk. He didn’t hand her a drink with anything in it.”
The complaint said Araiza led the girl into a bedroom where “at least three other men were already in the bedroom,” including Leonard and Ewaliko, both of whom were at least 18 at the time.
“Doe was raped for about an hour and a half before the party shut down. Doe stumbled out of the room, bloodied and crying,” the complaint said.
The girl reported the alleged incident to San Diego police the next day and was subjected to a rape investigation at a hospital, according to the lawsuit.
Nowlin “Pa’a” Ewaliko’s attorney, Marc Carlos, told CNN in a phone interview that he saw some issues with Doe’s credibility and the circumstances under which she reported the incident. “Filing the civil suit is clearly an attempt to pressure prosecutors to file a case,” he said. According to Carlos, Ewaliko is not enrolled at SDSU this semester.
Zavier Leonard’s attorney, Jahmal Kersey, declined to comment but told CNN they were aware of the lawsuit.
The San Diego County Attorney’s Office said the investigation would be reviewed but did not say when a charge decision would be made.
San Diego State released a statement saying it “takes allegations of sexual assault seriously,” but was unable to release specific details on the case due to privacy concerns, saying the allegations were still “actively being investigated by the university.” The statement went on to say that violating the university’s code of conduct could potentially result in “suspension, dismissal or expulsion.”
The Buffalo Bills were made aware of the allegations in late July when they were contacted by a representative for the alleged victim, Beane said in a news conference Saturday.
“The last 48 was very difficult for a lot of people. It’s been tough and we understand this whole situation, all parties involved,” Beane said.
“Ultimately, that is a legal position. We don’t have all the facts and that makes it difficult, but at this point we just think the best move for everyone is to walk away from Matt and let him take care of this situation and focus on that,” added Beane. “So we’ll split up there.”