Lawyer for Mariano Rivera, wife denies they covered up sexual abuse of girl
Mariano Rivera with his wife, Clara, at the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in upstate Cooperstown in 2019. Credit: AP / Hans Pennink
A lawyer for Yankees Hall of Fame closer Mariano Rivera and his wife, Clara, rejected allegations in a teenager’s lawsuit claiming the couple covered up her sexual abuse at a church-affiliated camp in Florida and during a barbecue at the couple’s home in Rye.
In a news release issued Thursday, lawyer Joseph A. Ruta said the first time the couple learned of the allegations was nearly four years after one of the alleged incidents from a law firm seeking a financial settlement.
"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 said in a statement.
Ruta could not be reached for comment beyond the statement.
The lawsuit, filed pseudonymously in Westchester by a now-17-year-old girl and her mom, alleges that the Riveras and their affiliated church failed to shield the girl from abuse and didn’t adequately investigate once the allegations were made.
The couple isn’t accused of abusing the girl. The alleged abusers — a minor and an adult — were reported to the police, although neither was ever criminally charged, said Adam Horowitz, of Florida, one of the attorneys who filed the suit.
The Riveras' lawyer called the suit misleading.
"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 said in a statement. "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."
Matthew Chayes, a Newsday reporter since 2007, covers New York City.
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