The case stems from a 2021 allegation during Hairston’s freshman year at the University of Kentucky that drew little attention during the predraft process. Hairston was 17 at the time of the alleged incident, per Jana Bardahl and Tim Graham of The Athletic. The alleged victim, an Ohio woman, eventually transferred out of the school.
In the suit, the unnamed woman says Hairston sexually assaulted her in her dorm room on March 25, 2021. The suit alleges Hairston removed the woman’s pajamas, after she had indicated she was tired and uninterested in sexual intercourse, and assaulted her. The woman filed a police report at the time, according to Bardahl and Graham, and went through a Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner exam at a hospital.
Shortly after selecting Hairston, Bills general manager Brandon Beane called him “an impeccable kid” and said that the incident was “fully investigated” by both the university and his own staff in Buffalo.
“It was one of those where there was zero — zero — information saying that this actually happened,” Beane said in April, via Pro Football Talk’s Michael David Smith.
The University of Kentucky and the Bills both declined to comment on the lawsuit, per WKBW.
As of 2023, the NFL’s personal conduct policy includes language that allows the league to investigate and discipline players for conduct from before they were drafted, according to Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio. That would include the allegation against Hairston, though the league may wait for the civil proceedings to play out before making a determination of its own.
The Bills chose Hairston 30th overall, making him the second pure cornerback taken in this draft. His rookie contract — worth a fully guaranteed $15.28M — runs through 2028 and includes a fifth-year option for 2029.
Sam Robinson contributed to this report.
