Current:Home > MyPunter Matt Araiza to be dropped from rape lawsuit as part of settlement with accuser-DB Wealth Institute B2 Expert Reviews
Punter Matt Araiza to be dropped from rape lawsuit as part of settlement with accuser
View Date:2024-12-23 19:52:14
The woman who said former San Diego State punter Matt Araiza raped her when she was 17 is dismissing Araiza from her civil lawsuit, according to a signed settlement agreement obtained by USA TODAY Sports.
The agreement also calls for Araiza to dismiss his defamation lawsuit against the woman.
Araiza is not paying the plaintiff any money, according to his attorneys, Dick Semerdjian and Kristen Bush.
"While we are here celebrating this victory with Matt and his family, the win is bittersweet," Araiza's attorneys said in a statement. "Matt has been forced to defend himself for the last sixteen months against false accusations and a campaign to ruin his career in the NFL. He will never get this time in his life back."
Attorney Dan Gilleon, who represents the woman, confirmed the settlement but offered no further comment.
NFL STATS CENTRAL: The latest NFL scores, schedules, odds, stats and more.
The woman's lawsuit will be dismissed within 10 days of the settlement agreement being executed and Araiza's lawsuit will be dismissed within 10 days of that, according to the signed agreement. Both cases are filed in San Diego Superior Court.
The woman filed her lawsuit in August 2022, saying she was gang raped by several men, including Araiza and two other San Diego State football players, in October 2021 at a Halloween party near the San Diego State
Two days later, Araiza was released by the Buffalo Bills, who had selected the All-American punter in the sixth round of the 2022 draft. No NFL team has offered him a contract since.
Araiza admitted having sex with the teen during the party and said it was consensual. He was 21 at the time of the incident.
In December, San Diego County District Attorney's Office said it would not file charges against Araiza and that he was not present at the time the woman said she was gang raped.
The settlement allows the woman, now 19, to pursue her lawsuit against the other named defendants, former San Diego State football players Zavier Leonard and Nowlin Ewaliko.
Araiza's attorneys scheduled a press conference for 9 a.m. Wednesday in San Diego. In a statement, the attorneys said Araiza "is reserving his right to pursue the plaintiff’s attorney (Gilleon)...and his law office for the harm that they have caused him."
veryGood! (167)
Related
- Pitchfork Music Festival to find new home after ending 19-year run in Chicago
- Big city mayors get audience with administration officials to pitch a request for help with migrants
- 'Alligators, mosquitos and everything': Video shows pilot rescue after 9 hours in Everglades
- California officials confirm 2 cases of dengue, a mosquito-borne illness rarely transmitted in US
- Lane Kiffin puts heat on CFP bracket after Ole Miss pounds Georgia. So, who's left out?
- US to send $425 million in aid to Ukraine, US officials say
- Thousands of Las Vegas Strip hotel workers at 18 casinos could go on strike this month
- 21-year-old woman killed by stray bullet while ending her shift at a bar in Georgia
- 'America's flagship' SS United States has departure from Philadelphia to Florida delayed
- Biden will host Americas summit that focuses on supply chains, migration and new investment
Ranking
- The Daily Money: Inflation is still a thing
- Authorities investigate a house fire that killed three family members in northern Maine
- Wildfire in mountainous Central Oahu moves away from towns as Hawaii firefighters continue battle
- 'The Holdovers' movie review: Paul Giamatti stars in an instant holiday classic
- Massachusetts lawmakers to consider a soccer stadium for the New England Revolution
- Suzanne Somers, late 'Three's Company' star, died after breast cancer spread to brain
- Stay in Israel, or flee? Thai workers caught up in Hamas attack and war are faced with a dilemma
- A man killed a woman, left her body in a car, then boarded a flight to Kenya from Boston, police say
Recommendation
-
She's a trans actress and 'a warrior.' Now, this 'Emilia Pérez' star could make history.
-
Friends Director Says Cast Was Destroyed After Matthew Perry's Death
-
'The Office' creator Greg Daniels talks potential reboot, Amazon's 'Upload' and WGA strike
-
Bob Knight's death brings the reckoning of a legacy. A day we knew would come.
-
What is best start in NBA history? Five teams ahead of Cavaliers' 13-0 record
-
Emma Hernan and Bre Tiesi Confront Nicole Young Over Bullying Accusations in Selling Sunset Clip
-
Hurricane Otis leaves nearly 100 people dead or missing in Mexico, local government says
-
Man and 1-year-old boy shot and killed in Montana residence, suspects detained