Cindy Clemishire is asking the Texas Supreme Court to review her defamation lawsuit against former Gateway Church pastor Robert Morris, the church, and former church elders after a Dallas appeals court dismissed nearly all of her claims.
Clemishire filed a petition with the state’s highest court after the Fifth District Court of Appeals ruled in August that her claims against Gateway and three former elders could not proceed because they involved the church’s internal investigation and governance. Most of her claims against Morris were also dismissed in a separate ruling.
Clemishire Challenges Church Autonomy Ruling
The appeals court relied on the ecclesiastical abstention doctrine, which stems from First Amendment protections for religious institutions and limits civil courts from intervening in certain church matters.
Clemishire’s attorneys argue the doctrine should not prevent her defamation claims because she was never a member of Gateway and the statements at issue were made publicly. They contend the case concerns what Gateway knew when it made statements about her, rather than the church’s internal governance.
Lawsuit Centers On Statements About Abuse
Clemishire filed the lawsuit in June 2025 after publicly accusing Morris of sexually abusing her when she was 12 years old.
Gateway leaders issued a statement in June 2024 acknowledging Morris’ misconduct but described the victim as a “young lady.” Clemishire has argued that the language minimized the abuse and that subsequent statements about the allegations were defamatory.
The appeals court did not determine whether the challenged statements were defamatory. Instead, it ruled that the trial court lacked jurisdiction to consider claims involving the church’s internal investigation and related communications.
Gateway attorney Ron Breaux said the ruling protects the church’s ability to investigate misconduct and communicate with its congregation without civil courts reviewing internal religious matters. Gateway has also said its current leaders did not know about Morris’ abuse until Clemishire came forward.
Leach Supports Appeal
Texas state Rep. Jeff Leach, who represents Clemishire and is also one of her attorneys, has publicly supported the appeal.
“Religious liberty is one of our most fundamental freedoms. But religious liberty cannot mean religious immunity,” Leach said in a statement, KERA reported. “Protecting a predator is not theology, and defaming his victim is not church doctrine.”
Morris Pleaded Guilty in Criminal Case
The civil lawsuit is separate from the criminal case involving Morris.
Morris pleaded guilty in October 2025 to five counts of lewd or indecent acts involving a child in Oklahoma. He was sentenced to 10 years, with six months to be served in jail, and was released in March 2026. He will be on probation for the remainder of his sentence. He is registered as a sex offender in Texas and was ordered to pay Clemishire $270,000.
Morris resigned as Gateway’s lead pastor in June 2024 after Clemishire publicly disclosed the abuse allegations.
His attorney, Bill Mateja, has defended Morris and Gateway’s handling of the matter and said the state Supreme Court will decide the case based on the law. Mateja also argued that Clemishire’s lawsuit improperly turns the church’s apology and acknowledgment of the abuse into potential defamation liability.
Texas Supreme Court To Consider Request
The Texas Supreme Court must first decide whether to accept Clemishire’s petition for review. If the court takes the case, the parties will proceed with briefing on the legal issues and could eventually present arguments before the justices.
For now, the appeals court’s ruling remains in effect, leaving Clemishire seeking further review of the dismissal of her claims.
