Update: Matt Araiza’s parents responded to the accusations Monday afternoon, saying their son has been harassed and has even received death threats since the lawsuit was filed. Click here for the full story.
San Diego State University Athletic Director John David Wicker and head football coach Brady Hoke briefly walked away from a news conference Monday after refusing to answer questions about a civil lawsuit accusing three former players of gang-raping a teenager at a party last fall.
Hoke typically holds regular news conferences during the season, and Monday's briefing was meant to address the team's season opener and first-ever game at the new Snapdragon Stadium this Saturday.
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Both men offered statements regarding the lawsuit, which named All-American and NFL draftee Matt Araiza and two other players, to open the news conference. After their statements, they said they wouldn't be taking any questions about the case going forward.
Immediately, they were asked a series of questions about the gang rape case, to which Wicker responded multiple times that they were there to answer questions about Saturday's game, not the investigation.
Both men walked out of the conference shortly after as media members continued to press them with questions about the lawsuit.
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As Hoke and Wicker started toward the door, a reporter asked, "Brady, do you want to stay and talk a little football?"
Hoke stopped and replied, "Do you want to talk football?"
The reporter answered with, "Yes, sir. I'd like some transparency, though, from the university. I think that's very important from a credibility standpoint. We're doing our job."
Hoke and Wicker continued out of the room but returned minutes later and faced questions about the lawsuit.
"As husbands and fathers, Coach Hoke and I fundamentally agree on this: Under no circumstance would we ever support an environment that supports abusive behavior," Wicker said.
Last week, a civil complaint filed against former SDSU punter Matt Araiza — who went on to the NFL's Buffalo Bills — and his teammates Zavier Leonard and Nowlin "Pa'a" Ewaliko alleged they were involved in the gang rape of a then-17-year-old girl at a Halloween party at a home near the campus in October 2021.
Wicker confirmed that Leonard and Ewaliko were "not currently members of the team" but refused to provide more specifics.
Coach Hoke, who was named head coach of the football team in Jan. 2020, said the athletic department has been cooperating with San Diego police on their investigation and the San Diego County District Attorney's office on their review.
"What was reported to happen should never happen, ever. And shouldn't happen to anyone and what has been important to us is that anyone who violates or violated the law or university policies, they'll be held accountable."
NBC 7 reached out to a lawyer for the now-18-year-old woman and to her father who did not have a response to Monday's news conference but both have been openly calling on the school and law enforcement to take action.
"One of the reasons she’s doing this is to try and change culture. She’s moving the needle, and any time these women come forward and start to move the needle, hopefully, we get to a place in society where people aren’t doing these stupid things,” her father told NBC 7 on Sunday.
The alleged victim reported the gang rape to SDPD the day after the party.
The San Diego Police Department closed its criminal investigation of the alleged incident in early August without detailing what, if anything, was discovered. No arrests have been made and a spokesperson for the San Diego County District Attorney's Office on Thursday said SDPD's investigation is still under review.
A few days before SDPD closed its investigation, and nine months after the alleged rape, SDSU President Adela de la Torre announced the university was launching its own. De la Torre said the university's late start was because SDPD had asked the university not to investigate, fearing their involvement would compromise the department's criminal investigation. De la Torre said SDPD gave SDSU the go-ahead to investigate on July 22.
A message from SDSU to students on Friday said the case was active and they would be unable to provide further details.
The school's decision to accede to the SDPD was criticized by rape survivor and public speaker Brenda Tracy, who was brought in by SDSU to speak to the football team and other male athletes nearly three weeks after the alleged assault. Tracy said in a statement posted on Twitter on Sunday night that she had been told by an SDSU staff member “that there was an incident that had happened.”
Tracy added that as she learns more details, “it is becoming more obvious that SDSU did not do the right thing. Institutions should not defer to police investigations. Title IX and criminal cases can run concurrently. ... Even without the victim directly reporting to the school, her father did, and the school could have reached out to him. Anonymous tips, one of which included a name, should have been followed up on immediately.”
Wicker confirmed that Tracy had been brought to campus.
“We felt like the San Diego Police Department had the best opportunity at success of adjudicating this and that’s what we went with," Wicker said in defense of the university's handling of the alleged incident. “I still firmly believe that allowing SDPD to handle the investigation of this was the right way to go.”
On Sunday, the Buffalo Bills announced they would release Araiza because "our culture in Buffalo is more important than winning football games."
Araiza's lawyer maintains that the allegations are false.
"I just learned that Matt was cut. I have not talked to Matt about this yet, but I sent him a text," Kerry L. Armstrong told NBC 7 on Saturday. "I am sure he is very upset and disappointed that his career with the Bills ended not because he played poorly, but because of false allegations leveled against him by a young lady and her attorney. I hope he is back in the NFL soon. He deserves to be, as he is the hardest-working twenty-two-year-old I know."
NBC 7 has not yet heard from an attorney for Leonard and an attorney for Ewaliko said on Friday: “At present, the District Attorney is reviewing the case and no criminal charges have been filed. The civil lawsuit has no bearing on the potential criminal case."
