The legal battle surrounding disgraced former Gateway Church pastor Robert Morris is far from over.
Cindy Clemishire has asked the Texas Supreme Court to revive significant portions of her $1 million defamation lawsuit against Morris, his wife, Deborah Morris, Gateway Church, and several current and former church leaders. The appeal follows an August ruling by Texas' Fifth Court of Appeals that dismissed most of Clemishire's claims.
Clemishire alleges that Morris sexually abused her during the 1980s, beginning when she was 12 years old. Morris subsequently founded Gateway Church in Southlake, Texas, and became one of America's most influential megachurch pastors.
For years, Morris publicly described his past as involving "inappropriate sexual behavior with a young lady." Clemishire's disclosure in June 2024 changed the story dramatically by revealing that she had been a child at the time.
Morris resigned from Gateway Church after the allegations became public. He later pleaded guilty in Oklahoma to five felony counts of child sexual abuse and received a 10-year sentence, with all but six months suspended. The court also ordered him to pay Clemishire $270,000 in restitution and register as a sex offender for life.
But the criminal case did not end the dispute over how Morris and Gateway leaders allegedly characterized Clemishire and her family.
In June 2025, Clemishire and her father, Jerry, filed suit against Robert and Deborah Morris, the Robert Morris Evangelistic Association, Gateway Church, and several church leaders. Their claims included libel, slander, defamation, civil conspiracy, and intentional infliction of emotional distress.
Among those named were former Gateway elders, former communications executive Lawrence Swicegood, and current elders John "Tra" Willbanks, Kenneth Fambro, and Dane Minor.
The appeals court later dismissed all claims against Gateway Church and three of its elders, all claims against Deborah Morris, and most claims against Robert Morris. Clemishire is now asking Texas' highest civil court to review that decision and permit more of the case to proceed.
The Supreme Court is not automatically required to hear the appeal. Clemishire's filing asks the justices to accept the case, examine the lower court's reasoning, and reverse the dismissal of the disputed claims.
The case raises an issue extending beyond one pastor or congregation: what happens when a church's public defense of its leaders allegedly causes further harm to a survivor?
Churches have a biblical responsibility to pursue truth, protect vulnerable people, and bring wrongdoing into the light. Institutional reputation cannot be allowed to outweigh justice, accountability, or compassionate care for those who have suffered abuse.
Clemishire's latest move ensures that the controversy surrounding Morris and Gateway Church will remain under legal and public scrutiny. A criminal conviction has already answered part of the story; the Texas Supreme Court may now decide whether her broader claims deserve to be heard.
