A new lawsuit has surfaced accusing Mariano Rivera, the former New York Yankees closer and his wife Clara, of covering up alleged child abuse at their home and at one of their church’s summer camps.
The lawsuit, filed in New York this month, does not explicitly list the Riveras as defendants but mentions them repeatedly.
The lawsuit describes a 2018 incident involving a teenager, identified only as Jane A Doe, who was allegedly persuaded by Clara Rivera to participate in an internship in Florida hosted by the Refuge of Hope Church. During the internship, Jane A Doe claims she was sexually assaulted by an older camper, identified as “MG.”
The teenager’s mother, referred to as Mother A Doe in the legal documents, claims she informed Clara about potential abuse. According to the suit, Clara Rivera assured Mother A Doe that she would investigate the matter.
However, when Clara and Mariano Rivera arrived at the camp, they allegedly isolated and intimidated Jane A Doe to remain silent about the incident in order to shield their church and its affiliated summer program.
The lawsuit claims the Riveras reassured the mother that everything was fine, despite knowing Jane A Doe remained vulnerable to further abuse by MG.
After returning to New York, the suit alleges that Jane A Doe was subjected to a second alleged abuse incident during a barbecue hosted by the Riveras at their home. The complaint states that the Riveras and others at the event failed to act to protect the teenager from her abuser.
In 2021, the lawsuit claims Jane A Doe was a victim of further abuse by a male adult youth leader affiliated with the Refuge of Hope Church, but no proper action was taken by the Riveras or church officials to safeguard her.
Mariano Rivera, widely regarded as one of the greatest pitchers in Major League Baseball history, played for the New York Yankees from 1995 to 2013.
After retiring, he became a pastor at the Refuge of Hope Church, where his wife Clara worked as an overseer of day-to-day operations. Neither Mariano nor Clara Rivera has publicly commented on the allegations outlined in the lawsuit.
