Buffalo Bills player accused of sexual assault
General manager Brandon Beane revealed during the draft that he had investigated a sexual assault allegation about the cornerback.
Off-field issues are nothing new for NFL players during the offseason – and now, Buffalo Bills rookie Maxwell Hairston is facing a civil lawsuit for alleged sexual assault. A woman from Ohio has accused Hairston of assaulting her during an incident in 2021, when both were students at the University of Kentucky, according to WKBW.
The #Bills first-round CB Max Hairston has been named in a civil lawsuit alleging sexual assault committed by Hairston via non-consensual sexual contact with a woman in a dorm on campus at the University of Kentucky in 2021, when the incident was reported to law enforcement.…
— alex brasky (@alexbrasky) July 2, 2025
Hairston not charged with a crime
The woman says she met him in early 2021, when he was 17. The alleged incident took place in March of that year, after she turned down his request to go out and “clearly indicated she was not interested in a sexual encounter with the football player.”
Hairston is expected to start as cornerback opposite Christian Benford. The Bills’ secondary also includes Taron Johnson at nickelback, with Dane Jackson, Tre’Davious White, Dorian Strong and Ja’Marcus Ingram providing depth.
New: Bills GM Brandon Beane was asked about the alleged Max Hairston accusations from early in his time at Kentucky.
— Nick Veronica (@NickVeronica) April 26, 2025
"We fully investigated that ... it doesn't seem to be anything there," Beane said. Full answer below.
Beane added Hairston even volunteered to do a polygraph. pic.twitter.com/CSZkFrEizu
The Bills say they were aware of the allegation before drafting him. After selecting Hairston in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft, general manager Brandon Beane told reporters the team had fully investigated a past sexual assault accusation. He described Hairston as “an impeccable young man,” adding that the rookie had volunteered to take a polygraph test during the vetting process.
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