Woman Sues Buffalo Bills First Round Draft Pick For Sexual Assault

An Ohio woman has filed a lawsuit against Buffalo Bills first-round draft pick Maxwell Hairston, accusing the NFL player of sexually assaulting her in 2021 while both were students at the University of Kentucky.

The lawsuit, filed Tuesday, names Rebecca Hendryx as the plaintiff and alleges that she and Hairston first met in early 2021 while living in the same dorm at the university.

The alleged incident involving Buffalo Bills first-round draft pick Maxwell Hairston occurred in March of that year.

According to ESPN, the legal filing states that after Hendryx declined Hairston's invitation to hang out, he allegedly entered her room uninvited and followed her inside.

Despite Hendryx’s repeated expressions of non-interest in engaging in sexual intercourse, the lawsuit claims that Hairston "forcefully removed" her pajama shorts and sexually assaulted her.

The lawsuit does not specify criminal charges against the Buffalo Bills player, who has not been charged with any crime related to the alleged incident.

Neither Hairston nor his agent has addressed the allegations.

Buffalo Bills GM Brandon Beane addressed the allegations, saying the team had "fully investigated" the matter and deemed Hairston an "impeccable kid."

"We did a lot of research. I think all teams were aware of the Title IX thing. That was fully investigated by the school. He even volunteered to do a polygraph and had notes. It was one of those where there was zero information saying that this actually happened, to what the accusation was. You can't take someone's account and think that's the truth. But yes, we fully investigated that," Beane said, per WKBW.

He continued, "Every person you talk to at Kentucky, teammates, staff there, plus what we've done, I would say this is a heck of a young man, every person you ask. That's unfortunate when things like that are attached to someone's name; in this case, it doesn't seem to be anything there."

Beane also mentioned that the Buffalo Bills did not find any issues that would prevent Hairston from joining the team.

The lawsuit further details that Hendryx reported the alleged assault to law enforcement "within hours" of the incident.

She also underwent a Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE) exam at the hospital following her conversation with police. However, the lawsuit does not provide information regarding the outcome of either Hendryx's police report or the results of her SANE exam.

“Our client showed remarkable strength in coming forward, and we are proud to stand with her in pursuit of accountability and justice,” Peter Flowers, one of the women’s attorneys, said. “No one, regardless of their status or athletic success, is above the law.“

A spokeswoman for the Lexington Police Department stated that they do not have any records matching a sexual assault report involving Hairston. Similarly, a spokesperson for the Fayette County Sheriff’s Office did not provide any comment on the matter as of Wednesday.

Regarding the lawsuit, Dani Jaffe, a spokeswoman for the University of Kentucky, said that while she could not directly comment on the case, the university "thoroughly investigates sexual assault allegations" and that such investigations may involve police, Title IX officials, student conduct representatives, and other legal entities.

Jaffe noted that if charges are warranted, or if a student is found to have violated the university’s Code of Student Conduct, appropriate charges and disciplinary measures would be pursued.

According to the lawsuit, Hendryx transferred from the University of Kentucky in 2021 following the alleged assault.

This legal development comes at a time when Hairston is preparing for his NFL career after being drafted by the Buffalo Bills, though the lawsuit’s allegations have raised questions regarding his past and the handling of the matter by both the university and law enforcement.