The alleged victim says she was gang raped by Araiza and two of his SDSU teammates, Zavier Leonard and Nowlin Ewaliko, who have all denied the allegations. Football officials at the university faced tough questions during a press conference.
Football officials at San Diego State University are under fire after one of their former players, who was drafted by the NFL, and two of his college teammates, were accused of rape by an unidentified woman.
In a civil suit filed as “Jane Doe," the accuser alleges she was gang raped at a Halloween party last October by star punter Matt Araiza and former teammates Zavier Leonard and Nowlin Ewaliko.
Araiza was just fired by the Buffalo Bills after being drafted earlier this year.
The alleged victim says she was a 17-year-old high school senior at the time. The next day, she says she went to the police and an investigation was launched. But 10 months later, no charges have been filed.
Many are wondering why it has taken so long for the allegations to come to light, and some have suggested that the university kept it under wraps to protect a winning football season.
San Diego State head coach, Brady Hoke, faced tough questions at a press conference.
“Was San Diego State more concerned with image and winning games than addressing this publicly?” a reporter asked.
Hoke said he was not aware of the allegations until the civil suit was filed last Thursday.
According to the Los Angeles Times, the San Diego Police Department contacted the university three days after the alleged assault. One month after the Halloween party, the school brought in gang rape survivor and sensitivity trainer Brenda Tracy to talk to the football players about sexual assault.
Doe spoke about the alleged incident with Inside Edition, saying several men assaulted her on a bed while she was “going in and out of consciousness.”
She is also sharing video of the bruising on her neck she says she suffered during the alleged assault, images of her blood-stained costume and entries from her diary from the day after the party.
“I have no idea how long I was even in there or how many guys had sex with me,” she wrote. “All I keep replaying in my mind is being face down in a random bed waiting for it to be over.”
The three accused men have denied the allegations. Araiza’s parents released a statement, saying, “There has been a war waged against our son.”
“He has been tried and convicted in the media based on information released solely from the alleged victim and her attorney. The rule of law is innocent until proven guilty,” they said.
Araiza’s attorney, Kerry Anderson, says the family has been getting death threats.
“They're scared. My client's mother can't even go to work right now. She's a teacher, and she can't even go to work. It's a scary situation," Anderson said.
The case is now in the hands of the San Diego District Attorney’s office, who will determine whether criminal charges will be filed.
