Bills

Bills first-round CB Maxwell Hairston publicly addressed his legal situation for the first time at training camp. Hairston is being sued in civil court by a woman who says he sexually assaulted her during their freshman year at Kentucky in 2021. She filed a police report at the time and the university did an investigation but no charges were filed. Hairston continued his career and the woman left the university.

“This is something I’ve been dealing with since I was 17,” Hairston said via ESPN’s Alaina Getzenberg. “It’s been four years now, and I went through this whole process with the police. They went through a thorough investigation, and I was exonerated from that.

“The University of Kentucky did a thorough investigation. I was exonerated from that, as well. And I volunteered to do multiple polygraphs ’cause I was determined to get my truth out there, because I had nothing to hide. I was an open book. I have two sisters that I love dearly, and I respect all females, and I was just determined to get my truth out there. Like I said, I was an open book, and I was exonerated from both of those and just got to stay strong. But I’m confident that my truth will be out there.”

The Bills were well aware of the situation when they drafted Hairston and Bills GM Brandon Beane has backed him publicly at every turn as well. Beane alluded to a somewhat similar situation a few years ago with former P Matt Araiza, who the team released shortly after drafting him once sexual assault allegations became public.

“It’s frustrating. I think I reiterated that after the draft, it’s frustrating because in the legal world you can’t sit there and say things back and forth. You got to let it go,” Beane said. “But this happened to this young man over four years ago. He gave up his phone to prove some of … he took a polygraph test. This kid didn’t run from anything. He answered every single thing. We did that.

“We have to remember in society that people can make accusations and do things, and I have no idea what the agenda is there, but I can tell you every stone we turned over, every door we looked behind, this is a very good young man. A young man you would let in your house, you would let watch your kids, hang out with whoever, like he is genuinely a good person. He’s got sisters, he’s got a mother, he’s got a great family, raised the right way. I’ve met his parents. I’ve met his close family.”

*“I would feel terrible if someone said that about one of my sons, and I think we need to remember in the world, like, sometimes these guys, and I’m not going to get into it, but we see these accusations, sometimes these guys can be victims too,” Beane continued. “They make a lot of money, and I...