New York Yankees Hall of Fame closer Mariano Rivera and his wife, Clara, are facing allegations of covering up the sexual abuse of a minor at a summer camp and their former home. The lawsuit, filed on January 16 in the Supreme Court of Westchester County and obtained by The Independent, accuses the couple of negligence in their supervision and failing to act after learning about the alleged abuse involving a young girl from their church.
The Riveras are also being sued for “premises liability” related to incidents that reportedly occurred at their church and their former home in Rye, New York, according to Gainesville Public Information Services.
Mariano Rivera, who played for the Yankees from 1995 to 2013 and recorded a record 652 saves, serves as a pastor at Refuge of Hope Church in New Rochelle, New York. His wife, Clara, manages the church’s operations. According to reports, Clara encouraged the girl’s mother to send her daughter to a summer camp affiliated with the church.
Allegations detailed in the lawsuit
The plaintiff, identified as “Jane Doe,” claims she was sexually abused by an older minor, referred to as “MG,” during a summer internship at Ignite Life Center in Gainesville, Florida, in 2018. This program was supported by Refuge of Hope. The alleged abuse continued later that summer at a barbecue hosted at the Riveras’ former home in Rye, before the property was sold in 2022.
The lawsuit alleges that after Jane Doe’s mother expressed concerns about her daughter during a phone call, Clara Rivera promised to investigate. The Riveras traveled to Florida for the summer camp, where they reportedly “learned or should have learned” about the alleged abuse. However, instead of taking sufficient action, the lawsuit claims the couple isolated and intimidated Jane Doe to keep her silent, aiming to protect the church and its affiliated programs from public scrutiny and financial fallout.
According to the lawsuit, after the internship ended, Jane Doe returned to Refuge of Hope, where the abuse allegedly persisted during the barbecue. The event reportedly included children from the church but no parents. The Riveras allegedly left Jane Doe alone with MG during the gathering.
Claims of a cover-up
The complaint accuses the Riveras and the affiliated organizations of maintaining a pattern of handling allegations of sexual abuse internally to avoid public scandal. Gainesville Public Information Services reported that this alleged modus operandi prioritized protecting the church’s reputation over addressing the allegations.
As of now, the Riveras, Refuge of Hope, and Ignite Life Center have not responded to requests for comment.
The lawsuit underscores the alleged failure to act responsibly despite awareness of the abuse, raising serious questions about the leadership and oversight within the Riveras’ church and affiliated programs. The case remains ongoing.
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