Former Bills rookie punter Matt Araiza and two others have been accused of gang-raping a 17-year-old girl in 2021 in a lawsuit filed in San Diego County Superior Court on Thursday.
The lawsuit involves allegations against Araiza and two of his former San Diego State teammates. All three are accused of rape, gender violence, and false imprisonment.
Since the initial reports, more damning information has come out and it paints Araiza in an even worse light. The incident allegedly went down at a Halloween party between Oct. 16 and 17 when the teen was plied with a drink that “not only contained alcohol, but other intoxicating substances” and assaulted by multiple men.
The suit alleges that the punter is specifically accused of making the teen perform oral sex on him before he “pulled her up from the ground, turned her around facing away from the party, and penetrated her from behind.”
According to the suit, police helped the teen call the other players and Araiza to confirm the incident. During the taped phone call, Araiza told the young woman that he had tested positive for chlamydia, and asked her to get tested.
He then said, “So you know what to get tested for Ok, that makes me feel a bit better.”
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The suit states that the minor’s nose, belly button, and ear piercings had been pulled out during the acts, and she was bleeding from her vagina. Jane Doe alleges that Araiza was aware of her being in high school. She alleges that he handed her a drink, but she did not see him pour it. There is belief and information from Doe that it might have contained other “intoxicating substances” besides alcohol.
In a statement Thursday, the Bills said they “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.”
Because the alleged rape happened before Araiza was drafted, Matt would not be subject to the league’s personal conduct policy. However, the Bills could cut him for any reason and that is what they did this week.
Araiza’s criminal attorney, Kerry Armstrong, called the accusation false.
“It’s a shakedown because he’s now with the Buffalo Bills,” said Armstrong, who noted that he represents Araiza on a potential criminal case, not the pending civil case.
