Sports

Matt Araiza: SDSU defends handling of gang-rape allegation

SAN DIEGO –

San Diego State soccer coach Brady Hoke mentioned Monday he did not know star punter Matt Araiza had been accused of collaborating within the gang rape of a 17-year-old lady at an off-campus celebration in October till a civil lawsuit was filed final week.

Hoke’s boss, athletic director John David Wicker, defended the college administration’s choice to obey the San Diego Police Division’s request to delay a campus-led inquiry into the alleged gang rape till authorities end their prison investigation. The incident occurred on Oct. 17 at a Halloween celebration at a house the place Araiza had been residing.

Araiza, nicknamed the “Punt God” and honoured as a consensus All-American for his booming kicks that helped SDSU to a school-best 12-2 season, was reduce by the Buffalo Payments on Saturday, two days after the civil lawsuit containing graphic particulars was filed towards him and former teammates Zaver Leonard and Nowlin “Pa’a” Ewaliko. Leonard and Ewaliko are not with the workforce, Wicker mentioned.

The college’s choice to accede to the SDPD was criticized by rape survivor and public speaker Brenda Tracy, who was introduced in by SDSU to talk to the soccer workforce and different male athletes practically three weeks after the alleged assault. Tracy mentioned in an announcement posted on Twitter on Sunday evening that she had been instructed by an SDSU workers member “that there was an incident that had occurred.”

Tracy added that as she learns extra particulars, “it’s turning into extra apparent that SDSU didn’t do the suitable factor. Establishments shouldn’t defer to police investigations. Title IX and prison instances can run concurrently. … Even with out the sufferer immediately reporting to the college, her father did, and the college may have reached out to him. Nameless suggestions, certainly one of which included a reputation, ought to have been adopted up on instantly.”

Wicker confirmed that Tracy had been delivered to campus.

“It’s completely not true that we swept this beneath the rug as a result of it was soccer, as a result of we have been having a profitable season,” Wicker mentioned. “That’s not who we’re and that isn’t who I’m. That calls into query my morals and my ethics and that’s not true.”

Wicker and Hoke tried to keep away from questions concerning the alleged gang rape at a information convention Monday. They learn quick statements and provided to reply questions on Saturday’s recreation towards Arizona that can open SDSU’s new Snapdragon Stadium. When reporters continued to ask concerning the case, Wicker and Hoke walked out.

Nonetheless, Wicker returned a number of minutes later and commenced answering questions.

“I nonetheless firmly consider that permitting SDPD to deal with the investigation of this was the suitable technique to go,” Wicker mentioned. “SDPD requested us to not examine as a result of they felt like it might impede or doubtlessly impression negatively their investigation, so we selected to do this.”

Wicker mentioned that included even a casual investigation comparable to a coach asking a participant if he had heard something.

“SDPD requested us to not examine. If we begin asking questions you possibly can tip somebody off, and we’re not going to analyze,” Wicker mentioned.

No arrests have been made and police haven’t publicly recognized any suspects. The outcomes of the police investigation are within the palms of the district legal professional, though there isn’t any timeline for a call on whether or not expenses will likely be filed. SDSU mentioned it was cleared by the SDPD on July 22 to start a campus investigation.

The plaintiff within the lawsuit is now 18. She is recognized within the grievance as “Jane Doe” as a result of she was underage on the time.

Lawyer Kerry Armstrong, who represents Araiza within the prison investigation, referred to as the allegations unfaithful based mostly on the findings of an investigator he employed.

The Los Angeles Instances has reported that Araiza’s title surfaced in reference to the rape allegation inside days of the celebration in at the very least one report made by student-athletes to San Diego State officers by means of an nameless reporting system.

Requested if he knew about that nameless report, Hoke mentioned: “I used to be not conscious.”

Requested at what level he first heard Araiza’s title talked about, Wicker mentioned: “We didn’t obtain affirmation from anybody that was celebration to the occasion till the civil lawsuit dropped.”

In the meantime, the Payments say they’ve moved on from Araiza.

“We’re already previous it. It’s over with,” offensive lineman Dion Dawkins mentioned after the Payments returned to follow Monday, two days after the workforce introduced Araiza’s launch. “He’s not right here. It’s not our downside. Carried out.”

Dawkins acknowledged he was he was troubled by the allegations made towards Araiza within the lawsuit.

“The ideas at all times come, however you’ve simply bought to attempt to hold your thoughts proper and never take into consideration stuff that you could’t actually management,” Dawkins mentioned. “As a result of if you concentrate on all the remainder of the messed-up stuff that goes on on the earth, you’ll actually malfunction.”

Earlier than follow, coach Sean McDermott addressed the gamers about Araiza’s launch, which was introduced greater than two hours after the workforce accomplished follow on Saturday. Workforce officers, together with McDermott and basic supervisor Brandon Beane, have been first made conscious of the allegations once they have been instructed in late July that Araiza was certainly one of a lot of San Diego State gamers focused in a police investigation.

Araiza was set to turn out to be Buffalo’s punter when the workforce launched Matt Haack final week, however the Payments then reversed course. Heart Mitch Morse defended the workforce’s dealing with of the state of affairs.

“I feel they’ve dealt with it admirably as a result of I don’t envy these conditions,” he mentioned. “In the long run, I do assume they made the suitable choice.”

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Wawrow reported from Orchard Park, New York.

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