A 38-year-old woman has filed a rare lawsuit: She is suing the man she says was her boyfriend for allegedly punching her in the eye and shattering multiple bones in her face at her Bend home.
Gina Bevill accuses Shawn McCloud, 57, of domestic violence, saying he should pay for the reconstructive facial surgery she says she will need. She seeks medical costs that are yet to be determined, plus $975,000 for pain and suffering.
Greg Kafoury, the Portland lawyer representing Bevill, said women have come to him over his nearly 45-year career seeking compensation for injuries they say they’ve suffered at the hands of their boyfriends or husbands but have backed out before he files lawsuits. This is the first time a woman has gone through with a lawsuit, he said.
“The reasons are complex and perhaps unfathomable to people outside the relationship,” Kafoury said.
McCloud hasn’t been charged with any crimes and the accusations against him have been made solely in the civil suit, not in criminal court.
“I am shocked and surprised that these allegations have been made against me," McCloud said. “I did not assault or in any way strike or hurt Ms. Bevill.”
He continued: "Certainly if the facts in this lawsuit were true I would’ve been charged with a crime, and I was not. I loved Gina and am deeply saddened by these claims, which are simply untrue.”
A Bend police spokeswoman didn’t respond Wednesday or Thursday to a request by The Oregonian/OregonLive for information.
Kafoury said McCloud called police after the April 28 episode though Bevill was the one who was seriously hurt. Police took no action, according to Kafoury.
The suit says McCloud is a retired vice president of marketing for Calypto Design Systems, which is owned by Mentor Graphics. He owns properties throughout Oregon, the suit says.
The lawsuit was filed May 31 in Multnomah County Circuit Court.
Rosemary Brewer, executive director of the Oregon Crime Victims Law Center, said these types of lawsuits could be rare for the same reasons that people who contact police about domestic abuse later decide not pursue the allegations.
“A ton of cases get dropped because the victims don’t want to go forward,” Brewer said. “Even if a victim calls the police because she is being victimized at that moment, she might back out later. ... Maybe she doesn’t want people to know. Maybe she’s being financially supported by her abuser.”
Brewer, who isn’t associated with Bevill’s lawsuit, also said it’s traumatic for people to repeat their stories to a detective, a prosecutor, a grand jury and later to a jury.
In a civil case, the system could add an extra level of scrutiny. The plaintiff could be required to turn over all of her medical and counseling records, Brewer said.
-- Aimee Green
Visit subscription.oregonlive.com/newsletters to get Oregonian/OregonLive journalism delivered to your email inbox.