A girls wrestling coach whose Fairfield facility borders Livingston is under criminal investigation by the Essex County Prosecutor's Office for alleged sexual misconduct.
Carmen Martin, a spokesperson for the prosecutor's office, confirmed Tuesday, Aug. 18, that the investigation was opened after Fairfield police referred allegations involving Dave Cordoba, 44, of Pine Brook, according to NJ.com. Fairfield Police Chief Anthony Manna said Monday, Aug. 17, that no arrest had been made.
No charges have been filed.
Cordoba owns Cordoba Trained Wrestling, a club he opened in 2019 on U.S. Route 46 in Fairfield, which borders Livingston in Essex County. The facility had 62 girls training there as of 2024 and had become a primary training center for several former state champions, NJ.com reported.
SafeSport suspension
The U.S. Center for SafeSport placed Cordoba in its Centralized Disciplinary Database on Thursday, Aug. 13, imposing a temporary suspension and a no-contact directive tied to his affiliation with USA Wrestling, according to Daily Voice. The database entry lists the reason as "Allegations of Misconduct."
A temporary suspension is an administrative measure and does not represent a final determination, according to SafeSport's database guidelines.
Allyson Neville, SafeSport's communications director, told NJ.com in an email that the organization does not comment on specific cases to "maintain the integrity of the investigative process."
Facility closed, coach unreachable
By Tuesday morning, Aug. 18, the doors to Cordoba Trained Wrestling were locked, NJ.com reported. Cordoba did not return multiple phone messages and emails from NJ.com, and a phone call placed by Daily Voice on Tuesday was immediately declined.
Cordoba is a 1999 New Jersey state wrestling champion from Kearny High School with more than 20 years of coaching experience, according to his club's website. He opened Cordoba Trained as girls wrestling expanded statewide after the NJSIAA sanctioned it as an official sport in 2018.
The New Jersey Women's Wrestling Facebook page posted a public statement after Cordoba's SafeSport listing became public, urging the wrestling community to protect girls in the sport.
The investigation is ongoing. No charges have been filed and no court dates have been scheduled. Cordoba has not publicly responded to the allegations.
Parents with concerns about a child's safety can contact the Essex County Prosecutor's Office Special Victims Unit at 973-621-4300 or Fairfield police at 973-227-1400.
