Bills GM backs rookie Maxwell Hairston after sexual assault lawsuit

The Bills are standing behind their 2025 first-round draft pick after he was accused of sexual assault in a lawsuit filed earlier in July.

With training camp in Rochester getting underway this week, general manager Brandon Beane addressed the situation after Maxwell Hairston was named a defendant in a civil lawsuit that alleges the defensive back sexually assaulted a woman while he attended the University of Kentucky in 2021.

Beane said Hairston has not “run” from the allegations and lauded the 21-year-old’s character.

“Frustrating because, in the legal world you can’t sit there and say things back and forth. You’ve got to let it go,” Beane told reporters. “This happened to this young man over four years ago. He gave up his phone to prove … he took a polygraph test. This kid didn’t run from anything, he answered all of that. We have to remember in society that people can make accusations and do things. I have no idea what the agenda is there. 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, watch your kids, hang out with whoever.

“He is genuinely a good person. … I think we need to remember in the world, I’m not going to get into it, but we see these accusations, sometimes these guys can be victims, too. They make a lot of money. Rarely do people defend them. That’s hard for me in this seat sometimes. Because I’ve seen it. We’ve had it here with a player here a few years ago that’s no longer here that’s wrongly accused.”

The lawsuit was filed in Kentucky at the beginning of the month by a woman identified as Rebecca Hendryx, ESPN reported, who claims that Hairston entered her dorm room uninvited.

Hendryx alleges that Hairston “forcefully removed” her clothes and sexually assaulted her after she had said she did not want to partake in sexual activity with him.

Hairston, who was 17 at the time of the alleged incident, said in his first comments about the lawsuit on Wednesday that he went through a “thorough” investigation with police after the allegations first came to light and that probe “exonerated” him.

He is not facing criminal charges.

“The University of Kentucky did a thorough investigation,” Hairston said. “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.”

Hairston was taken 30th overall in the draft after three seasons at Kentucky, where he logged six interceptions and 89 tackles.

Beane reiterated he believes that the young defensive back is a “great” person.

“Anyone who has met Maxwell Hairston genuinely knows what a great young man he is,” Beane said.