The lawsuit alleges that Araiza had sex with a 17-year-old outside an off-campus home where Araiza lived, then brought her to a room where she was repeatedly raped. The plaintiff is identified in the lawsuit as “Jane Doe,” because she was a minor at the time, but is now 18, according to the Associated Press. The two other current and former San Diego State football players named in the complaint are Zavier Leonard, who is currently on San Diego State’s roster, and Nowlin “Pa’a” Ewaliko, who is no longer with the team. Araiza became a star player for the Aztecs as a redshirt junior in 2021, winning the Ray Guy Award as the nation’s top player before entering the 2022 NFL Draft. The lawsuit states that the plaintiff had been drinking with friends when they decided to go to the party on Oct. 17 and was “obviously intoxicated upon arrival.” She got separated from her friends and was approached by Araiza, who offered her a drink, according to the lawsuit. The plaintiff believes the drink “not only contained alcohol, but also other intoxicants,” the complaint said. No arrests have been made and San Diego police have not publicly identified any suspects, according to the Associated Press. Attempts by NFL Media to reach San Diego police and the district attorney’s office were unsuccessful. An attorney representing Araiza told the Los Angeles Times, which first reported the lawsuit, on Thursday that he had not yet reviewed the complaint against Araiza, but said the allegations were false. “We were recently made aware of a civil complaint involving Matt as of October 2021,” the Bills said in a statement Thursday, obtained by NFL Network’s Mike Giardi. “Due to the serious nature of the complaint, we have conducted a thorough review of this matter. As this is an ongoing civil case, we will have no further comment at this time.” The university launched a Title IX investigation into the incident last month, according to the Times. The Bills selected Araiza in the sixth round of the 2022 draft, and earlier this week Araiza earned the team’s starting spot for next season. The Bills play the Carolina Panthers in their final preseason game on Friday. Araiza traveled with the team, Giardi confirmed.
