WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. (1010 WINS) – Famed Yankees closer Mariano Rivera and his wife Clara have been accused in a lawsuit of covering up the sexual abuse of a child “to avoid the potential scandal” for a church they helped found in New Rochelle—allegations they called "completely false."
The civil complaint was filed Wednesday in Westchester by the alleged victim and her mother, who were referred to in court records as "Jane A Doe" and "Mother A Doe."
According to the lawsuit, the girl was a member of Refuge of Hope, an Assemblies of God church that the Riveras helped found and where Mariano Rivera is a pastor.
In 2018, the Riveras encouraged the girl, who was around 10 years old at the time, to attend a summer internship run by Ignite Life Center, another Assemblies of God church in Gainesville, Florida, according to the complaint.
As part of the program, the girl was assigned to a dormitory with other children. Among them was a “much older” girl who “repeatedly sexually abused JANE A DOE in the camp’s dormitory and shower,” the lawsuit alleges, referring to the abuser as "MG."
The girl’s mother “learned information that made her concerned” for her daughter’s safety, the suit says, so she contacted Clara Rivera to report her concerns, to which Rivera said she’d investigate and respond accordingly.
The Riveras traveled to Florida and allegedly “received information that should have given them concern” the girl was being sexually abused.
Instead of taking action, the suit claims, “the Riveras each separately isolated and intimidated JANE A DOE to remain silent about her negative experiences at the summer internship, including her abuse by MG, to avoid causing trouble for REFUGIO and the Ignite Life Summer Internship.”
Later that summer, after the girl had returned to New York, she was sexually assaulted again by the same older girl at a barbecue hosted by the Riveras at their home in Rye, according to the lawsuit.
The complaint also alleges that the girl was abused three years later by the adult son of an associate pastor, who worked as a youth leader at Refuge of Hope on premises owned or operated by the church.
The complaint alleges neither the Riveras nor the employees of the church reported the abuse or took proper steps to stop it.
The suit says the plaintiff has suffered "physical, psychological and emotional injuries, mental anguish and the loss of enjoyment of life."
In a statement to 1010 WINS, an attorney for Mariano and Clara Rivera, Joseph A. Ruta, said, “Mariano and Clara Rivera do not tolerate child abuse of any kind and allegations that they knew about or failed to act on reports of child abuse are completely false.”
“The very first time they heard about these allegations was nearly four years after the alleged incident, when in 2022 a New York attorney sent a letter requesting a financial settlement. This was followed by a second letter in 2023, from a different Florida law firm, again requesting a financial settlement,” Ruta’s statement continued.
“The lawsuit, which seeks financial damages for the Riveras’ alleged failure to act on alleged incidents that were never reported to them, is full of inaccurate and misleading statements which we have no doubt will not hold up in a court of law,” Ruta added.
“The Riveras are known throughout New York for their charitable work and especially for their commitment to serving underprivileged children. It’s unfortunate they are being targeted by false allegations,” the statement said.