Lawsuit accuses former UK football player Maxwell Hairston of sexual assault during freshman year

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- A federal lawsuit filed this week accuses former University of Kentucky football player Maxwell Hairston of sexually assaulting a female student in her dorm room during his freshman year on campus.

The lawsuit, filed Tuesday in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky, alleges that Hairston, now a first-round NFL draft pick of the Buffalo Bills, entered the woman's dorm room without invitation late on the night of March 24, 2021, or in the early morning hours of March 25, 2021, and forced himself on her despite her repeated refusals.

According to the complaint, the woman — identified as Rebecca Hendryx — told Hairston multiple times that she was tired and not interested in sex, but he entered her room, removed her pajama shorts, and assaulted her. The lawsuit states that the woman later filed a police report and received a Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE) exam at a local hospital. She ultimately transferred out of the University of Kentucky, citing emotional trauma that made it impossible to remain on campus.

The lawsuit seeks a jury trial and accuses Hairston of civil sexual assault under Kentucky law, as well as intentional infliction of emotional distress. It claims Hairston's actions meet the legal definition of rape under Kentucky criminal statutes, though no criminal charges were filed at the time.

The allegations were first made public in 2022, when the woman posted screenshots of her complaint and police report on social media. She also wrote that a Title IX investigation by the university resulted in no disciplinary action against Hairston.

Hairston, 21, was selected by the Bills with the 30th pick in the 2025 NFL Draft following a standout junior season at cornerback. At the time of the draft, Buffalo general manager Brandon Beane acknowledged the previous allegation but defended the team's vetting process.

"He's an impeccable kid, and we did a lot of research," Beane said. "I think all teams were aware of the Title IX thing. That was fully investigated by the school. There's everything out. He even volunteered to a polygraph and had notes."

Representatives for Hairston have not responded publicly to the lawsuit. The Buffalo Bills declined further comment Wednesday, deferring to Beane's previous remarks.

Hairston is expected to participate in the team's upcoming training camp after recovering from a minor hamstring injury suffered in minicamp.

Read the full lawsuit below:

Download PDF