The Kentucky Court of Appeals has ruled in favor of Jonah Bevin, the adopted son of former Gov. Matt Bevin and Glenna Bevin, allowing him to move forward in his effort to intervene in his parents’ divorce case.
The Bevins had appealed a May ruling that granted Jonah the right to participate in the proceedings, but a three-judge panel dismissed their appeal this week, saying it was filed prematurely. The court ruled that appeals can only be filed once the pending Jefferson Family Court case is fully resolved.
The decision clears the way for Jonah, 18, to proceed with his claims. He was adopted by the Bevins at age five along with three other children from Ethiopia.
“We’re pleased that we’re going to have our day in court,” said John Helmers Jr., one of Jonah’s attorneys.
Attorneys for Matt and Glenna Bevin either declined to comment or did not immediately respond to requests for statements.
Jefferson Family Court Judge Angela Johnson had earlier denied the Bevins’ request to keep their divorce settlement sealed, and that order remains in place.
Jonah has accused his adoptive parents of abandoning him at age 17 at the now-shuttered Atlantis Leadership Academy in Jamaica, where he said he suffered abuse. He is seeking financial and educational support, as well as the right to protect his interests in his parents’ divorce settlement.
The Jamaican facility drew international scrutiny after the Sunday Times of London reported on the alleged abuses, which prompted celebrity advocate Paris Hilton to travel to Jamaica in April to assist the affected youths. Jonah was among eight minors removed from the facility after Jamaican child welfare officials shut it down in 2024.
Dawn J. Post, a New York attorney and child advocate who helped relocate Jonah and other teens, welcomed the appeals court ruling but criticized the delays.
“However, we are deeply surprised and disappointed by how long it took to reach even this procedural step,” Post said. “This case represents more than a legal delay; it reflects the ongoing failures of accountability that have defined the experience of too many abandoned adoptees.”
Post added that more than 160 other youths remain in a different Jamaican facility with little oversight, even as a major hurricane recently struck the island.
With the appeal dismissed, Jonah’s legal team has asked the court to schedule a new hearing.
The Bevins, who have five biological children and four adoptees, adopted Jonah during Matt Bevin’s tenure as a public advocate for adoption and foster care. However, Jonah has alleged years of mistreatment, saying he was sent to multiple out-of-state residential programs beginning at age 13 and was denied a proper education.
His lawyers argue he is entitled to continued educational support, claiming his online high school diploma came from an unaccredited institution and is a “sham.”
“Jonah has been working to find his footing amid years of abandonment and instability,” Post said. “Each delay in the legal process makes that work harder. The absence of timely accountability sends a painful message.”
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