SAN DIEGO —
The woman who accused former San Diego State University punter and NFL hopeful Matt Araiza of raping her at an off-campus party has agreed to dismiss him from the civil suit, attorneys on both sides of the case confirmed Tuesday.
No money will change hands, and Araiza agreed to drop his defamation countersuit against her. The agreement leaves him open to pursue a potential lawsuit against the woman’s attorney.
The lawsuit against four other defendants accused of gang rape is set for trial in February. Those defendants, all former SDSU football players, have previously said any encounters with the woman were consensual.
The dismissal of Araiza from the lawsuit likely clears the way for him to attempt another shot at the NFL.
His attorneys issued a statement Tuesday saying that the outcome is “bittersweet.”
“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,” according to a statement from attorneys Dick Semerdjian and Kristen Bush.
They also said there was “extensive evidence that was key to securing Matt’s voluntary dismissal from this lawsuit. Matt was and has always been innocent.”
The woman’s attorney, Dan Gilleon, said in a text message that the defamation suit filed against her was “legally baseless.” He noted that her first legal bill topped $20,000, and she “simply cannot afford to defend herself.”
“Plus she has been beat down by Araiza’s PR campaign and is frankly over it,” he wrote.
Gilleon said his client would have dropped the case months ago but refused to sign a press release Araiza had wanted. Once that demand was off the table, he said, the case could be settled. According to Gilleon, his client would have had to agree to say she now understands her memory was not correct and that Araiza did not enter the home with her.
In response, Araiza’s attorneys said a couple of proposed news releases were discussed as part of the settlement agreement, but Araiza did not agree with the suggested revisions and were not included. The attorneys also said they insisted on removing a confidentiality provision that had been proposed by the woman and her attorney.
Araiza was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in April 2022 and was cut from the team when the lawsuit was filed four months later. Now 23, he has not played football for more than a year.
Araiza has maintained he was not present when, according to the woman, she was led into a bedroom and raped by other men. He did admit the two had engaged in sex earlier in the evening, outside the College Area home during a October 2021 weekend party. Araiza has said he believed she was 18.
The woman went to police the Monday after the party. The woman, who was then 17 years old and in high school, told San Diego police detectives she cooperated during the bedroom encounter to avoid being harmed.
After a police investigation, prosecutors declined to file criminal charges. The woman’s lawsuit was filed several months before prosecutors announced they would not bring charges.
Araiza had been pressing for a quick trial and had tried to get his portion of the lawsuit heard separately from the others.
Central evidence in the case includes cellphone video clips of the alleged gang rape. A judge ruled recently that attorneys for the defendants would be able to view the clips as part of the discovery process, including possibly using them when they deposed her. Whether the videos would be allowed at trial was not addressed.
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