Lawsuit for Sexual Assault Against Maxwell Hairston, Bills Selection
A woman from Ohio has filed a lawsuit against Maxwell Hairston, the Buffalo Bills’ first-round pick, accusing him of sexual assault in 2021.
The plaintiff, identified as Rebecca Hendryx, alleges that the incident occurred when they were both students at the University of Kentucky.
According to the lawsuit filed on Tuesday, Hairston met Hendryx in early 2021, when they lived in the same dormitory.
The lawsuit details that in March of that year, Hairston entered Hendryx’s room without invitation. After she rejected his company, he followed her to her room. According to the lawsuit, despite Hendryx “repeatedly expressing her lack of interest in having sexual relations with him”, Hairston “forcibly removed” her pajama pants and sexually assaulted her.
So far, Hairston has not been charged with any crime. Neither he nor his agent have issued any comments on the matter.
A Bills spokesperson declined to comment, referring to statements made by general manager Brandon Beane in April, following Hairston’s selection in the NFL draft. At that time, Beane stated that the team “thoroughly investigated” a 2021 sexual assault allegation and that Hairston was “a clean kid” and that “there didn’t seem to be anything there.”
The lawsuit states that Hendryx reported the alleged incident to the authorities “within hours” and underwent an examination by a forensic nurse specializing in sexual assault at the hospital after speaking with the police. The lawsuit does not specify the outcome of Hendryx’s police report or the SANE exam, and Hendryx’s attorneys did not immediately respond to a request for police or university documents they might have.
A Lexington police spokeswoman stated that the department had no report matching an accusation of sexual assault against Hairston. A spokesperson for the Fayette County Sheriff’s Office did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Dani Jaffe, a spokesperson for the University of Kentucky and the university police, said he could not comment on the lawsuit, but that “allegations of sexual assault are thoroughly investigated and may involve the police, Title IX, student conduct officials, and other legal entities. If and when charges are warranted, or if a student is found to have violated our Student Code of Conduct, such charges and disciplinary actions are brought and aggressively pursued to protect our students.”
According to the lawsuit, Hendryx transferred from the university in 2021.
