Ex-SDSU punter Matt Araiza’s accuser to drop him from lawsuit alleging rape

Araiza will also be dropping a defamation lawsuit against the young woman, his attorneys said Tuesday.

SAN DIEGO — Lawsuits tied to accusations of sexual assault levied at Matt Araiza will be dropped after the former San Diego State and Buffalo Bills punter reached an agreement with his accuser earlier this week, attorneys representing both parties confirmed to FOX 5.

“This week marks the end of the August 2022 civil lawsuit filed against our client,” Araiza’s attorneys, Dick Semerdjian and Kristen Bush, said in a joint statement on Tuesday.

According to the lawyers, the allegations in the complaint against Araiza will be dismissed without a monetary settlement. The 23-year-old will also be dismissing his counter defamation suit against young woman, known as Jane Doe, which was filed earlier in July.

“While we are here celebrating this victory with Matt and his family, the win is bittersweet,” the statement continued. “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.”

Araiza had been released from the Bills in August 2022 when he was named in a lawsuit filed by Doe detailing claims of a gang rape at an off-campus house party in October 2021 when she was 17 years old.

The lawsuit came after prosecutors with the county District Attorney’s office opted not to pursue criminal charges against the punter and his former teammates related to the case.

Araiza has long denied the accusations, but he did admit to having consensual interactions with Doe at the house party. His attorneys contended that photos and videos captured during the night in question did not place him in the bedroom where the alleged rape took place.

A nearly 200-page transcript, which was unsealed by a judge earlier this year, of a December meeting between prosecutors, Doe and her counsel discusses this evidence, adding that the timeline pieced together by investigators indicated that Araiza had left the party an hour before the alleged rape.

“Matt has always maintained his innocence, despite the public outcry that resulted when he was falsely accused of crimes and civil assault. Thankfully, there was extensive evidence that was key to securing Matt’s voluntary dismissal from this lawsuit,” his attorneys said in Tuesday’s statement.

Doe will still be pursing against the two other SDSU players named in the complaint, her attorney said.

The punter’s attorneys say the agreement with his accuser allows him to pursue legal action against Doe’s attorney, Dan Gilleon. However, the attorney was not named as a defendant in Araiza’s earlier defamation filings.

The next hearing in the civil case against the other SDSU football players — Zavier Leonard, Jonathan Harrison, Jaiden Brown and Nowlin “Pa’a” Ewaliko — is set for Jan. 5, followed by a trial readiness conference in February. The jury trial is expected to begin in mid-February.

A separate case against Ewaliko was also unfolding also unfolding over the last several months stemming from a charge for child pornography possession. He pleaded guilty to the charge and was sentenced to six months behind bars in November.

With the accusations dismissed against Araiza, his attorneys say he intends to return to the National Football League “in the hopes of resuming a successful punting career.” It is unclear if he is in talks with any teams at this time.