Buffalo Bills first round draft pick Maxwell Hairston has been accused of sexual assault by an Ohio woman, according to a lawsuit filed Tuesday in Kentucky.
The woman, who identified herself as Rebecca Hendryx, accused Hairston of sexually assaulting her in early 2021 when they both attended the University of Kentucky.
What the lawsuit alleges
After meeting, the two met later that same day in Hairston’s dorm room, where Hendryx said he made made her “feel uncomfortable when he attempted to isolate her in his bedroom,” before she left the room, according to the lawsuit.
On the evening of March 24 or early hours of March 25, Hairston went to Hendryx’s room uninvited and told her he wanted to hang out. Hendryx declined the invitation, and Hairston then entered the room, where she reiterated that she was “tired,” but said he was “high as (expletive)” and “trying to have sex,” which she refused multiple times, the lawsuit states. Hairston then “forcefully removed” Hendryx’s pajama bottoms and sexual assaulted her without her consent, according to the filing.
Hairston has not been charged with a crime. Hendryx transferred from the University of Kentucky in 2021, per the lawsuit.
Comments on the accusations
A spokesperson for the Bills declined to comment, according to ESPN, and referred to general manager Brandon Beane’s comments on Hairston after the team selected the speedy cornerback in April’s NFL Draft.
“That was fully investigated by the school,” Beane said of the sexual assault accusation against Hairston. “There’s everything out, he even volunteered to do a polygraph and had notes. It was one of those where there was zero — zero — information saying that this actually happened to what the accusation was. Just like anything in this world, you can’t just take someone’s account and think that’s the truth, but yes, we fully investigated that.
“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 and in this case, it doesn’t seem to be anything there,” he added.
The University of Kentucky issued a public statement on Hendryx’s accusation against Hairston.
“The university is not a party to this lawsuit and therefore cannot comment on it,” the University said, according to WKBW in Buffalo. “However, sexual assault allegations are thoroughly investigated and can involve 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 Code of Student Conduct, such charges and disciplinary measures are filed and pursued aggressively to protect our students.”
Hairston was drafted by the Bills with the No. 30 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.
“Hairston was projected to be a mid-to-late pick in the first round of the NFL Draft, and that’s where he ended up,” said David Campbell, sports manager for Cleveland.com / The Plain Dealer. “The Bills selected him to help shore up their defensive backfield as they try to get over the hump and finally move past Kansas City in the playoffs and make a Super Bowl.”
If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.