Editor’s Note: This article contains an account suspected of sexual assault. If you or someone you know is a survivor of sexual assault, contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline. 1-800-656-4673 or https://www.rainn.org
The Bills released rookie punter Matt Aliza, who is accused of gang-raping a 17-year-old girl at San Diego State University last year.
The news of the liberation of Aliza ESPN’s Adam Schefter first reportedand shortly thereafter was announced by Bills general manager Brandon Bean.
“This afternoon we decided the best thing to do was release Matt Aliza,” Bean said. per team“Buffalo culture is more important than winning football games.”
Alyza, 22, was named alongside former SDSU teammates Xavier Leonard and Nourin “Par” Ewarico in a lawsuit filed in San Diego County Superior Court on Thursday. The complaint alleges that Arriaza raped a minor outside an off-campus party last year, who said she had already been drinking with friends before attending the party. Alyza, who was living in a private residence, took her to a bedroom with Leonard, Ewariko, and at least one man, and the group raped and assaulted her.An hour and a half before the party ended.
According to the complaint, the girl staggered out of her room after being assaulted, “bloody and crying. Her nose, navel and ear piercings had been pulled out and her vagina was also bleeding.”
Alyza didn’t appear in the Bills’ preseason game against the Panthers on Friday following the allegations. won.
At a press conference held shortly after Buffalo released Aliza, Biehn addressed the reasons for the decision and reports about what the team had previously known about the charges leading up to Thursday’s event. athleticBuffalo’s Tim Graham reported Friday that the bill was unable to contact plaintiffs after learning of the situation last month. announced that it has been implemented.
Bean, who said the decision was made for non-football reasons, said the bill was first announced in late July after plaintiffs’ attorneys “explained some of the things they were accusing Matt and others of.” He also said neither the team nor the league knew about the allegations at the time of the June draft.
“We reached out to double-digit teams and no one knew about this,” he said. athletic Joe Bascaglia.
Bean also explained why the club did not take immediate action upon learning of the allegations, telling reporters that Buffalo “does not have the means to put all the facts together” and is still “connecting” the information at this time. It fits,” he said.
“At the time, our process was thorough, thoughtful, and tried not to make hasty judgments,” Bean said. “I don’t think it’s going to be easy. You’re trying to use limited information to apply facts to the legal situation. And ultimately, with this decision, that’s where we are today.” is.”
A lawsuit will be filed in about two months. los angeles times reported that five members of the SDSU football team were reported to campus officials last fall about an alleged rape at an off-campus house party. The school sparked an immediate backlash after the report noted that it did not initiate an internal investigation or disciplinary proceedings for the student more than seven months after becoming aware of the incident. launched its own Title IX investigation nine months after it first surfaced.
The university explained why it waited to launch an investigation during the announcement, stating, “The San Diego Police Department has decided not to initiate an investigation into the reported off-campus sexual assault to avoid SDSU compromising its own information. I asked him not to take any action, such as conducting interviews.” criminal investigation. “
On Friday, Aliza released his first public statement on the matter. Via Adam Schefter on ESPNSince the incident occurred while he was in college, Niiza is not subject to NFL discipline.
“The facts of the case are not what the lawsuits and press portray. I look forward to setting the record straight soon,” he said.
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