AUGUSTA — The second of two women who brought a complaint against a Gardiner attorney that resulted in his suspension from practicing law in Maine has filed a civil complaint against him at the Capital Judicial Center.
The complaint alleges that Clarence H. “Skip” Spurling repeatedly touched her in a sexual way, made inappropriate sexual jokes to her on several occasions, flirted with her and made sexually suggestive comments to her, suggesting to her that she should dress provocatively when she came to see him.
Because the woman is alleging sexual assault, the Kennebec Journal is not identifying her.
In October, another woman, who the Kennebec Journal is not identifying, brought a complaint against Spurling, alleging that he drugged her and sexually assaulted her in his Gardiner office and at his Pittston home over the course of about 13 hours in July.
Spurling was representing both women in family matters.
In court papers, Spurling has denied those allegations, rejecting her version of events. He said while she was intoxicated, he was not, and there are “significant factual disputes” between their accounts of what happened on the evening of July 9 through the morning of July 10.
In his sworn statement, Spurling “vehemently” denied he was naked and attempted to have sex with her. He said she was sick and throwing up in his office after they had dinner in Gardiner on July 9, and she said she was too ill to leave. He said she took two phone calls while there, one from her mother, telling them she was too drunk to drive.
At 2 a.m., he said, after trying to rouse her every 30 to 60 minutes, he brought her home, gave her a shirt to wear and laundered her clothes. He said when he woke her in the morning, she had asked him if they had sex and he told her no.
He said he has video doorbell footage of them arriving and leaving his home that shows he did not force her.
“Between July 10, 2020 and July 11, 2020, (she) sent me several text messages on my phone to which I sent responses. At no time did she accuse me of sexually assaulting her in text messages. She stated she was not sure that we should work together. In one of the texts she stated, ‘I have so much crap I’m dealing with, and I’m a mess.”
Spurling said she subsequently requested that the retainer she paid him be returned.
The woman is also suing the Blind Pig, the Gardiner restaurant where they had dinner, which has denied her claims.
In the second complaint, the woman said in a sworn statement that she recorded her final appointment with Spurling on March 10, 2020, where they were going to talk about him representing her after she had been charged with operating under the influence.
She said she was concerned because she could not afford a retainer, and he said was not going to ask for a retainer and they would work it out. During that meeting, she said Spurling said his interest in her was personal, not professional, and he touched her under her shirt and attempted to unfasten her pants.
In September, the state Supreme Court issued an order of immediate suspension against Spurling following a conference by telephone and a testimonial hearing, which included information about these encounters.
In its order, it noted that Spurling admitted kissing the woman who is alleging the July sexual assault but that he never had sex with her. His affidavit does not state he kissed her.
The order also notes that while Spurling admitted he should not have touched the other woman, he also testified he should not have let himself be “handled” or “manipulated” by the woman.
Spurling has not responded to the second claim, which was filed earlier this month.
He remains under disciplinary suspension, according to the Board of Overseers of the Bar.
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