Defamation Lawsuit Against Gateway Church and Robert Morris
Cindy Clemishire’s defamation lawsuit against Gateway Church and Robert Morris has a trial date, per Dallas County court filings.
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Dallas County Judge Emily Tobolowsky set the case for a jury trial on June 15, 2026.
Clemishire and her father filed suit in June against Gateway; Morris; Morris’ wife, Debbie; three of Gateway’s current elders; several former elders; and a former Gateway spokesperson.
Breaking News
Clemishire alleged in the suit that Gateway and its elders defamed her through their characterizations of her alleged abuse and that the church and its elders “acted in concert” to cover up her alleged abuse.
A Gateway spokesperson declined to comment Thursday on the lawsuit.
Related: Robert Morris’ accuser sues him, Gateway Church, alleging defamation over past statements
“Defendants’ defamatory statements imply that the sexual acts perpetrated against Plaintiff were consensual and merely a moral indiscretion, rather than a crime,” Clemishire’s attorneys wrote in the lawsuit. The suit said those “defamatory statements” damaged Clemishire’s reputation and caused her mental anguish.
“The person who abused me and the people who blatantly covered it up deserve to be held accountable,” Clemishire wrote in a June statement to The News on her suit. “My hope is that bringing awareness to my case will help other victims and survivors feel hope, because the person who did this to me — and the people who enabled him and covered it up for decades — are being held accountable.”
Background of the Case
Morris, Gateway’s founder and former senior pastor, resigned from the church last June after Clemishire publicly accused him of sexually abusing her in the 1980s from ages 12 to 17.
Morris was indicted in March on five counts of lewd or indecent acts to a child in Oklahoma. He made an initial court appearance in Osage County court May 9. Morris could face up to 20 years in prison for each of the five charges, according to the Oklahoma attorney general’s office. His preliminary hearing is scheduled for Sept. 4.
Related: Will Robert Morris child abuse charges stick? Lawyers say statute of limitations is key
“Morris does not dispute that he had a highly inappropriate relationship with CC [Cindy Clemishire] in the 1980’s,” according to a May court filing written by Morris’ attorneys. In that filing, Morris said Gateway owes him millions in retirement payments. Gateway said in response that it is not obligated to pay Morris “a penny.”
Impact on Gateway Church
Since Morris’ exit, Gateway has faced declining membership and giving and a reckoning over its culture.
Gateway removed four of its elders in November. Gateway’s elder board chair Tra Willbanks alleged that those elders either knew of Clemishire’s age when her alleged abuse occurred or had enough information to inquire further and did not do so.
The church has canceled its Saturday services at eight of its nine Dallas-Fort Worth campuses as of last weekend. Last month, the church announced it was laying off staff members due to “a significant drop” in tithes, or regular donations from members.
Related: Judge: Robert Morris and Gateway have 30 more days to agree on retirement pay arbitrator
Gateway has also been sued by former congregants who allege the church owes them their tithing money back.
Clemishire’s Journey to Recovery
Clemishire told The News last year that the alleged abuse she suffered at Morris’ hands continues to shape her parenting, disrupt her day-to-day routine, motivate her to become an advocate and influence her sense of self.
“It’s a lifelong journey,” she said of recovery.
Clemishire said she didn’t accept the label “sexual abuse” to describe her experience until she was 35. By that point, she said she had already been in therapy for almost 10 years.
Related: Woman who accused Gateway Church founder of sexual abuse says recovery has been ‘l
