'We tried to do what was right': Buffalo Bills announce Matt Araiza's release after gang rape allegations
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA: The Buffalo Bills have announced the release of rookie punter Matt Araiza two days after a civil lawsuit alleging he and two other current and former San Diego State football players gang raped a minor was filed. Bills' General Manager Brandon Beane and Head Coach Sean McDermott announced Araiza's release on Saturday, August 27, and said, "We just think it's the best move for everyone to move on from Matt (Araiza) and let him take care of this situation and focus that."
Matt Araiza, whose full name is Matthew Ryan Araiza, is facing a civil lawsuit that was filed on Thursday, August 25 in California. The lawsuit filed in San Diego County Superior Court has named Matt Araiza, Zavier Leonard, and Nowlin 'Pa'a' Ewaliko as the prime suspects in the alleged gang rape. The incident allegedly took place at a Halloween party at a home where Matt Araiza had been living. Araiza traveled with the team to Charlotte for the team's final preseason game on Friday, but he was not in uniform. He did not attend the team's Saturday practice.
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"We don't have all the answers and we're not perfect.
— Buffalo Bills (@BuffaloBills) August 28, 2022
But I can tell you that we just tried to do what was right."
GM of Buffalo Bills, Beane said in his statement, "We don't have all the answers and we're not perfect. But I can tell you that we just tried to do what was right."
Also, he said "It's been tough and we sympathize with this whole situation, all of the parties involved. This young woman, what she went through. You really feel bad for that whole situation, and ultimately this is a legal situation and we don't know all of the facts. That's what makes it hard, but at this time we just think it's the best move for everyone to move on from Matt, and let him take care of this situation and focus on that. So, we're going to part ways there."
Beane added, "With the serious nature of an allegation, we don't have the means to put all of the facts together. There are multiple versions of what happened. He's a football coach (Sean McDermott) and I'm a GM, we don't have access to everything. That's more important than playing football, and so we want Matt to focus on that."
Bills head coach Sean McDermott said, "Matt Araiza is a situation that is extremely serious. It's just hard to go through and it's not a situation that I or we take lightly whatsoever. I understand the sensitivity of the situation. It's clear we have work to do to continue to figure this thing out here, and we're going to do that."
Araiza, the team's only punter, did not dress for Friday's game against the Panthers. McDermott stated that not having the rookie play was his decision. "It was my decision and at the end of the day I didn't feel like it was right to (have him play)," he said. "That's what I'm after is doing the right thing."
“This is a game, but there are other things that are more important than this.” pic.twitter.com/Me6ybkRfzD
— Buffalo Bills (@BuffaloBills) August 27, 2022
Coach McDermott stated on Friday night that the Bills organization needs to cover more ground, stating that he had just learned of some new information within the last 24 hours. "I would say there's been some (new information) and I'm not going to deny that. It's clear we have work to do here in figuring this thing out," he said. "It's not easy to hear about some of the things that I've heard about over the last several hours. I haven't slept a lot to be honest with you, because this is a game, but there's other things that are more important."
Buffalo's head coach has promised to take a solution-oriented approach moving forward and to gather as much information as possible. He said, "It's just a matter of trying to find the truth at the end of the day," he said. "That's the goal. Find the truth and do the right thing. And that's what I keep coming back to in my mind and my heart is find out the truth to the best of my ability and do the right thing."
He wants to find a quick solution to the situation involving his punter because he understands that both parties involved in the dispute are suffering, as well as Buffalo's fan base. McDermott said, "I just want to get to that answer as soon as we can," he said. "But you know how things sometimes work with these situations. There are things on both sides with legal and attorneys and everything like that. So again, just trying to put this all together and do what's right."