The Buffalo Payments minimize the rookie punter Matt Araiza on Saturday, two days after he was accused in a lawsuit of raping a 17-year-old woman final October. The lawsuit additionally accused two of his teammates at San Diego State of rape stemming from an incident at an off-campus occasion.
In keeping with a lawsuit filed Thursday in San Diego Superior Courtroom, Araiza, who was 21 on the time, knew the woman was in highschool and will see she was intoxicated.
Araiza denied the claims. In a press release launched by his agent Friday, he stated: “The information of the incident usually are not what they’re portrayed within the lawsuit or within the press. I sit up for rapidly setting the report straight.”
A lawyer for Zavier Leonard, one other of the accused males, declined to remark when reached by The New York Instances. The third man accused within the lawsuit, Nowlin Ewaliko, didn’t reply to a request for remark.
Here’s what is understood in regards to the allegations.
Who’s Matt Araiza?
Araiza, 22, was maybe probably the most noteworthy punter in school soccer final season. Generally known as the “Punt God” at San Diego State, he averaged an N.C.A.A. report 51.2 yards per punt in 2021, his junior yr. He was additionally the group’s kicker throughout his three seasons on the college.
After Araiza received the Ray Man Award, yearly given to the most effective collegiate punter, the Payments drafted him within the sixth spherical of the N.F.L. draft in April, properly behind two punters chosen within the fourth spherical who had arguably much less spectacular statistics.
Araiza received the beginning job over the Payments’ veteran punter, Matt Haack, in coaching camp and gained some web fame for his 82-yard punt in his first preseason recreation in August.
What’s Araiza accused of?
The teenager says in her lawsuit that Araiza and two of his then-teammates on the San Diego State soccer group took turns raping her throughout a Halloween occasion at an off-campus home in October 2021, whereas she was “observably intoxicated.”
In keeping with the go well with, she advised Araiza that she was attending an area highschool on the time of the occasion. She was below the age of consent, which is eighteen in California.
Araiza provided {the teenager} a drink and led her to the facet yard, the place he raped her orally and vaginally, the go well with stated. He then took her to a bed room inside the home, the place she stated a gaggle of males, together with the 2 different defendants in her civil go well with, had been ready. In keeping with the lawsuit, Araiza threw {the teenager} onto the mattress face first and “the boys took turns having intercourse along with her from behind” whereas she went out and in of consciousness.
Perceive the N.F.L.’s Current Controversies
Perceive the N.F.L.’s Current Controversies
Deshaun Watson’s suspension. The quarterback, who was accused by greater than two dozen girls of sexual misconduct throughout therapeutic massage remedies, was suspended for six video games for violating the N.F.L.’s private conduct coverage. Two grand juries in Texas declined to criminally cost Watson, who later reached settlements in all however one of many 24 lawsuits in opposition to him. However a Instances investigation confirmed that Watson could have engaged in additional questionable habits than beforehand identified.
The woman stated in her lawsuit that she was raped for about an hour and a half and “stumbled out of the room bloody and crying.”
Kerry Armstrong, Araiza’s legal protection lawyer, didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark. However in an interview on Thursday with a San Diego TV reporter, Armstrong denied that Araiza pressured the woman to have intercourse.
“He’s 100% adamant that he by no means forcibly raped this younger woman or forcibly had intercourse along with her in any sort of manner or had sexual relations along with her whereas she was intoxicated, whether or not or not it’s on alcohol or medication,” Armstrong stated.
Armstrong claimed that investigators who spoke to witnesses stated {the teenager} was not drunk and that she had advised them she was a university scholar. He additionally stated that Araiza is just being named within the case as a result of he has joined an N.F.L. group.
“I believe this can be a cash seize on her half,” Armstrong stated. “She sees some greenback indicators on the finish of the freeway.”
Dan Gilleon, who represents {the teenager}, denied that. He posted on social media a screenshot of an Aug. 1 textual content through which Armstrong seems to be asking Gilleon what amount of cash would get his shopper to settle. “We ignored the bush-league provide and filed a case,” Gilleon wrote Friday in his put up.
Will there be legal costs?
Felony costs are being thought-about.
In her lawsuit, the woman stated she reported the incident to the San Diego Police Division the subsequent day and underwent a rape examination at a hospital. In keeping with the go well with, detectives from the Intercourse Crimes Unit arrange a tape-recorded telephone name between the sufferer and Araiza, throughout which he confirmed having had intercourse along with her and advised her she ought to get examined for sexually transmitted ailments, earlier than altering his tone when she requested extra pointed questions.
A public affairs officer for the San Diego County District Legal professional’s Workplace confirmed that police have submitted their investigation for overview. “There is no such thing as a timeline for the way lengthy it’ll take,” the general public affairs officer stated Friday in an electronic mail.
How have the Payments responded?
The group introduced it had minimize Araiza in a information convention Saturday evening that adopted a group observe. “We don’t know all of the information, and that’s what makes it laborious, however at the moment we expect it’s the finest transfer for everybody to maneuver on from Matt and let him maintain this case,” stated Brandon Beane, the group’s basic supervisor.
Beane stated the group discovered in regards to the accusations from the girl’s lawyer in late July, about three months after Araiza was drafted. “We tried to be thorough and considerate and never rush to judgment,” he stated. “It’s not simple.”
The group advised The Los Angeles Instances on Thursday that “because of the severe nature of the grievance, we performed an intensive examination of this matter.”
Gilleon, the lawyer for the accuser, emailed Kathryn D’Angelo, the assistant basic counsel for the Payments, on July 31 to tell the group that his shopper was accusing Araiza of rape, based on a screenshot that was reviewed by The New York Instances. Gilleon then spoke to D’Angelo by telephone on Aug. 1. Gilleon contacted the Payments after the group drafted Araiza however earlier than it minimize Haack.
The group didn’t ask to talk to the accuser, based on Gilleon’s regulation agency. The Payments didn’t reply to The New York Instances’s request for particulars on their investigation.
The Payments performed their final preseason recreation on Friday in Charlotte, N.C., in opposition to the Carolina Panthers. In keeping with studies, Araiza traveled with the group however he didn’t costume for the sport. He was launched the subsequent day.
How has the N.F.L. responded?
The N.F.L. didn’t reply to a number of requests for remark. Self-discipline of gamers — together with suspensions — is ruled by the league’s private conduct coverage, which doesn’t cowl actions that came about earlier than a participant or different worker joined a group or league workplace. The league has no plans to conduct an investigation.
The Payments could minimize Araiza or every other participant for conduct it deems detrimental to the group. That broad definition covers many issues, together with ongoing authorized issues. Araiza signed a four-year contract price almost $3.9 million, with $216,000 of that quantity assured.
