'I believed my daughter from day 1': Dad of teen who says rookie NFL punter raped her speaks out
'They threw me down onto the bed, face down, and they took turns assaulting me,' said teen who filed lawsuit against Matt Araiza
NEW YORK -- Buffalo Bills punter Matt Araiza has been released from the team as he and two others stand accused of rape.
"It's obviously an important decision and one, that I felt like was the right approach at the time," said Head Coach Sean McDermott.
The allegations of rape, gender violence and false imprisonment allegedly happened during a Halloween house party last fall, while Araiza was a standout at San Diego State.
The others allegedly involved are Zavier Leonard and Nowlin Ewaliko. All are either current or former players on the team.
A lawsuit filed by a 17-year-old claimed she was "observably intoxicated" and while with Araiza, he "told her to perform oral sex on him" before leading her into a bedroom where Leonard and Ewaliko already were.
"They threw me down onto the bed, face down, and they took turns assaulting me," she said in a KPBS interview.
The alleged victim's father spoke out exclusively to GMA for the first time since that lawsuit was filed.
"The first thing I said was, 'oh, my Lord, how do I make sure that my daughter is physically cared for?'" he said. "I believed my daughter from day one."
Kerry Armstrong, Araiza's attorney, told the CBS San Diego affiliate he thinks this is a money-grab.
"He is 100% adamant that he never forcibly raped this young lady, or forcibly had sex with her in any type of way, or had sexual relations with her while she was intoxicated," Armstrong said.
He also alleged the plaintiff said at the time she was 18 years old and in college.
Attorneys for the other two men have urged that their clients not be prejudged on the basis of the complaint.
