Agreement reached in Emergency Protective Order case against former Gov. Matt Bevin

By Derek Brightwell

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WAVE) - An agreement has been reached in the Emergency Protective Order case filed by the son of former Kentucky Governor Matt Bevin against his adopted parents. The former governor was ordered by a judge Tuesday not to contact his adopted son, Jonah, or else face criminal charges.

The case originated after Jonah Bevin alleged he was physically and emotionally abused under the guardianship of Matt and Glenna Bevin. He also says he went through therapy and was even sent to a Jamaican facility where he described accounts of being beaten and waterboarded.

After a contentious hearing last Thursday that was expected to continue Tuesday, attorneys for Jonah quickly put an end to the hearing, saying that all parties involved had come to an agreement.

The agreement called for different terms for each parent.

Former Gov. Bevin agreed to a six month EPO starting Tuesday, March 25, meaning no contact with Jonah and potential jail time if he violates the order during that time period. Following the expiration of the order, Bevin will be placed under a court-ordered civil restraining order from Jonah, which carries less severe penalties if broken.

Former First Lady Glenna Bevin agreed to an immediate Civil Restraining Order, and no EPO.

The exact terms of the civil restraining orders still have to be worked out amongst attorneys.

The order also calls for the former governor to turn over any information he may have regarding Jonah’s biological parents in Ethiopia. According to Jonah, the Bevins told him his entire life that his biological parents were dead, only to later bait him with a trip to Ethiopia to supposedly meet his biological mother.

The confusion was the focal point of hearings Tuesday, as it’s still unknown whether or not Jonah’s parents are alive and where exactly they are. By court order, if Bevin knows this information, he must turn it over to his adopted son.

Following the conclusion of the hearing Tuesday, attorneys for Jonah spoke to the press, while the former governor and attorneys for the Bevins refused to answer any questions.

“I got what I needed,” Jonah said. “It looked like to everybody that Matt Bevin had everything figured out in his life, but he had nothing figured out. There’s an image they want people to see, and they don’t want an actual image of what is actually going on in their homes, and today we brought it out. We brought out what he didn’t want people to see.”

Attorneys for Jonah said the decision Tuesday was just the “first step” in a likely long legal battle. They’re still pursuing criminal charges in connection to Jonah’s abandonment at a Jamaican facility, which was shut down after documented cases of abuse and neglect.

Jonah said he wants to stand up and speak out for all of the kids still trapped in facilities like the one he was rescued from.

He said while he doesn’t know where his parents are or if they’re alive, he’s looking forward to finding out.

“I do desire to talk to and be with my family but the thing is, Matt has the information,” Jonah said. “And I know that he has the information, because he had texted the information to me and deleted it. So, I have no further information, but I have to get those things from Matt, and we will get those things from Matt.”

Jonah says he has exciting plans for his new life, although he couldn’t say where he’ll be going next.

The former governor is estranged from his wife, Glenna, and has lived a relatively reclusive lifestyle since his disappointing loss to current Governor Andy Beshear in 2019. It’s unclear what their next move will be, as they refused to answer reporter questions.

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Agreement reached in Emergency Protective Order case against former Gov. Matt Bevin