Araiza said in a statement issued through his attorney that, “The facts of the incident are not what is presented in the lawsuit or in the press. I look forward to quickly setting the record straight.” Araiza did not play in the Bills’ preseason game against the Carolina Panthers on Friday in Charlotte, North Carolina. Earlier, his lawyer, Kerry Armstrong, told CNN that his client did not rape the accuser. “He never used any force against her. She was not visibly intoxicated. He did not give her a drink with anything in it,” Armstrong added. Araiza “hopes it doesn’t affect his career with the Buffalo Bills. He really likes the team and hopes he can stay with them,” Armstrong said. Jane Doe says she attended a party in the San Diego area with friends but broke up with them when she met Araiza, according to the lawsuit. The claim further alleges that Araiza “could notice that Doe was very intoxicated” and “gave her a drink anyway.” “Doe informed Araiza that she attended Grossmont High School. Araiza, who was 21 years old, knew or should have known that Doe was a minor,” the complaint states. The woman says Araiza led her to a bedroom where “there were at least three other men already in the bedroom,” including Leonard and Ewaliko, who were both at least 18 at the time, according to the court document. Shortly after Doe entered the bedroom, the men allegedly began performing sexual acts on her, the lawsuit alleges. “Doe was raped for approximately an hour and a half until the party closed. Doe left the room covered in blood and crying,” the complaint said. Doe reported the alleged incident the next day to the San Diego Police Department and was evaluated for rape at a local hospital, according to the lawsuit. Days later, detectives arranged “fake” calls between Doe and the men they had identified as her alleged attackers, the claim said. “During the call, Araiza confirmed that he had sex with Doe, even telling her that she should get tested for STDs,” the allegation said, but when pressed about their meeting, “Araiza immediately changed the tone, saying, “This is Matt Araiza. I don’t remember anything that happened that night,’ so he ended the sham call by hanging up on Doe,” the complaint states. Ewaliko’s attorney, Marc Carlos, told CNN in a phone interview that he sees some problems with Doe’s credibility and the circumstances under which she reported the incident. “The filing of the civil suit is clearly an attempt to put pressure on the DA to file a case,” he said. Ewaliko is not enrolled at San Diego State this semester, according to Carlos. Leonard’s attorney, Jamahl Kersey, said: “We are aware of the lawsuit filed yesterday and respectfully decline to comment.” He said he could not comment on his client’s status as a student or player at San Diego State.
The police department has submitted its investigation to the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office and it is being reviewed, the DA’s office said, although officials did not say when a charging decision might be made. CNN also sought comment from police. The university issued a statement saying it “takes allegations of sexual assault seriously.” but was unable to release specific details about the case due to privacy concerns, saying the allegations were still under “active university investigation.” The statement further said that a violation of the university’s student code of conduct could potentially result in “suspension, dismissal or expulsion.” “We were recently made aware of a civil complaint involving Matt as of October 2021,” a Buffalo Bills spokesperson said. “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.” NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy said in a statement that league officials are aware of the matter, but had no further comment. An NFL player cannot be suspended for conduct prior to joining the league. But if a person is investigated for actions that occur while an NFL player, past conduct can affect potential discipline, according to the NFL’s personal conduct policy. CNN’s Jill Martin and Taylor Romine contributed to this report.