NEWSYankees Star Mariano Rivera and His Wife Accused of Covering Up Sexual Abuse at Summer Camp Connected to Their Church in Bombshell Lawsuit
Mariano and Clara Rivera have been accused of covering up sexual abuse tied to their church.
Mariano Rivera, the legendary Yankees closer, and his wife, Clara Rivera, are facing serious allegations in a new lawsuit filed in New York’s Westchester Supreme Court.
The couple has been accused of covering up two instances of sexual abuse connected to their church, Refuge of Hope.
The couple was accused of covering up an alleged sexual abuse related to their church.
According to court documents obtained by the New York Post, the plaintiff, identified as Jane Doe, claimed she was repeatedly abused by an older girl, referred to as “MG,” during a summer camp internship at the Ignite Life Center in Gainesville, Fla,, back in 2018.
“Our lawsuit alleges that Mariano and Clara Rivera had a duty to protect our client and missed the opportunity to save her from the harms of sexual abuse,” Jane Doe’s attorney, Adam Horowitz, said in a statement shared with the news outlet.
Mariano, known for his incredible career with the Yankees from 1995 to 2013, racked up 652 saves and five World Series titles. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2019 and now serves as the lead pastor of Refuge of Hope. Clara was reportedly in charge of the church’s daily operations during the time of the alleged incidents.
Clara Rivera allegedly encouraged the plaintiff to join the summer camp, where she was assaulted.
Jane Doe claimed Clara encouraged her to attend the summer camp, where the assault allegedly took place in dormitories and showers. The older girl, who was also a minor at the time, reportedly “fondled and penetrated” the plaintiff’s body including her b------, genitals and backside.
Want OK! each day? Sign up here!
The situation escalated when Jane Doe’s mother voiced concerns about her daughter’s safety. According to the lawsuit, the Riveras traveled to the camp and “assured” her that Clara would investigate the issue, but the suit claimed they failed to do so.
“Rather than take sufficient action to end the sexual abuse of Jane Doe, the Riveras each separately isolated and intimidated Jane Doe to remain silent about her abuse by MG to avoid causing trouble for Refuge of Hope and the Ignite Life Summer Internship,” the document alleged.
The couple reportedly 'intimidated' the complainant to 'remain silent about her abuse.'
According to the lawsuit, the abuse did not stop there. After returning to New York, Jane Doe claimed she was assaulted again during a barbecue hosted at the Riveras’ former home in Rye, N.Y., in August 2018.
The event, organized for children from Refuge of Hope, allegedly had no parental supervision. MG was invited to the gathering and allegedly assaulted Jane Doe again.
The Yankees star was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2019.
The legal filing accused the Riveras of promoting their church and events as safe and moral spaces while failing to protect participants.
Additionally, the complaint alleged that Jane Doe was later abused by Ruben Tavarez Jr., the adult son of one of the church’s associate pastors, Ruben Tavarez Sr. The alleged abuse occurred between late 2021 and 2022, with Tavarez Jr. reportedly engaging in explicit electronic communications with her.
