Latest news with #CindyClemishire
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Gateway Church ex-pastor Robert Morris wants to force arbitration of pay dispute
Lawyers for Robert Morris, the former lead pastor of Southlake's Gateway Church, have asked a Tarrant County court to compel the church to arbitrate a dispute over his retirement pay, according to court records. Morris' attorneys argue that Gateway leaders were aware of Morris' 'highly inappropriate relationship' with Cindy Clemishire, who was 12 years old when Morris allegedly began sexually abusing her in the 1980s, according to court documents the lawyers filed on Friday. Gateway Church, Morris' lawyers claim, is using the Clemishire case to avoid honoring financial commitments it made to the former pastor. 'While Morris is certainly deserving of the victim's punches, Morris is tired of being the punching bag of Gateway's current leadership as it tries to play its game of blame-shifting,' Morris' attorney Bill Mateja told the Star-Telegram in a statement. 'Our filings demonstrate that Morris was fully transparent with Gateway's leadership – full stop.' Included in the May 30 filing are pages of emails and documents that Morris' lawyers say demonstrate that elders and other officials at the North Texas megachurch knew about the sexual abuse allegations for at least 17 years before Morris was forced to resign in 2024. The documents include a 2007 letter from Gateway executive senior pastor Tom Lane. 'We discussed the past events involving Robert and Cindy Clemishire,' Lane wrote in the letter to the church's elders. 'Robert retold his account of the things that took place leading up to 1987 and the process of repentance and restoration he walked through from 1987-1989.' Gateway Church was founded in 2000 with Morris as its lead pastor. Four of Gateway's elders were removed last fall after an investigation revealed they had some information or knowledge of Morris' conduct prior to its public disclosure, the Star-Telegram previously reported. 🚨 More top stories from our newsroom: → Is Texas banning all THC products? → 900 tips led to arrests in fatal Grapevine Lake crash → 3-alarm fire damages Fort Worth mansion [Get our breaking news alerts.] Morris' counter-suit to force arbitration comes weeks after the church rejected his demands for millions of dollars in retirement pay following his resignation, the Star-Telegram previously reported. Morris had asked for an initial payment of $1 million and an annual retirement package of $600,000 to $800,000 for the rest of his and his wife's lives, plus other benefits. In the church's petition to the court about two weeks ago, lawyers for Gateway argued that any dispute related to Morris' contract had to go through mediation first. According to the church, 'Morris's agreements with Gateway preclude him from future retirement benefits if he resigns or is terminated due to certain immoral or criminal conduct,' which Gateway's elders believe would include the charges against him. In the response filed Friday, lawyers for Morris argue Gateway Church failed to 'honor its promises' made in Morris' benefit plan and employment agreement. His lawyers also argue that Gateway 'mischaracterized' Morris as combative and unwilling to reconcile. Morris' lawyers also say that he has always been ready to mediate the case, but that Gateway failed to provide him with the proposed mediators, according to the response. Morris resigned from Gateway Church nearly a year ago after he made a statement acknowledging the abuse of Clemishire, the Star-Telegram previously reported. Since then, Morris has been criminally indicted on related child sexual abuse charges in Oklahoma, where Clemishire and her family lived at the time. In April, Morris filed a demand for arbitration of the financial dispute with the Institute for Christian Conciliation, which bills itself on its website as a provider of 'court-approved Christian arbitration.' Lawyers for Gateway argued that the church should not be compelled to arbitrate before the ICC because the entity that previously owned it has ceased to exist, according to court documents. Because the ICC itself still exists, the court should compel Gateway to arbitrate, Morris' lawyers argue in the filing. Morris also motioned for Gateway attorney David Middlebrook to be removed from the case. Middlebrook previously represented Morris in matters related to the abuse allegations, which should disqualify him from the case under a Texas conflict-of-interest rule, Morris' lawyers said. Middlebrook has not yet filed a response to the motion. Officials with Gateway Church could not immediately be reached for comment Saturday.
CBS News
2 days ago
- General
- CBS News
Gateway Church welcomes new senior pastor amid ongoing controversy
Gateway Church has a new senior pastor, Daniel Floyd, who delivered his first sermon Saturday after relocating from Virginia. "I just want to say a big thank you to our elder team — just men of humility, character, integrity, and impatience, because we had a lot of questions, a lot of meetings, and a lot of prayer," Floyd said during the service. Gateway Church has a new senior pastor, Daniel Floyd, who delivered his first sermon Saturday after relocating from Virginia. CBS News Texas The leadership transition comes nearly a year after Gateway founder Robert Morris stepped down following allegations of child sexual abuse. Newly obtained court documents, reported Friday by CBS News Texas, reveal that Gateway's leadership was aware of Morris's alleged inappropriate behavior "as early as 2005 and most certainly by August 2007." The allegations stem from incidents in the 1980s in Hominy, Oklahoma, when Morris was a traveling preacher. Cindy Clemishire, who says she was 12 years old at the time, is among the accusers. "Really, the only thing that kept going through my mind was all the way back to when we first met him, thinking, 'This isn't how it was supposed to turn out.' Like, he should never have done that and ruined everything," Clemishire said. Robert Morris Gateway Church The court filings also include a proposed 2011 announcement, written by Morris, that was never shared with the congregation. In a letter to the board of elders, Gateway's president advised that Morris "should not mention the family or Cindy specifically by name as this would violate their privacy." Gateway Church responded to the latest developments, stating: "We have consistently and publicly said that there were elders and employees at Gateway who knew about this issue before it became public — and either didn't take action or didn't inquire further. That was fundamentally wrong. The church elders took action, and none of those individuals are a part of Gateway Church today." Morris's attorney disputes the church's narrative, claiming it falsely portrays Morris as lacking transparency. The attorney also noted that Gateway continues to work with the same law firm that was aware of the allegations.
CBS News
3 days ago
- General
- CBS News
New documents reveal what Gateway Church may have known before abuse allegations
New court documents that were filed Friday are shedding more light on what Gateway Church may or may not have known well before the child abuse allegations against founder Robert Morris. CBS News Texas obtained court documents, filed in Tarrant County, related to a lawsuit against the church over retirement payments. Pastor Robert Morris applauds during a roundtable discussion at Gateway Church Dallas Campus, Thursday, June 11, 2020, in Dallas. A statement issued on Tuesday, June 18, 2024, said that Morris has resigned after a woman said he had abused her on multiple occasions in the 1980s, beginning when she was 12. Alex Brandon / AP They include a proposed announcement that he was going to make to the congregation, but it was never made public. According to Morris' attorney, the proposed announcement was written by Morris in 2011. In it, Morris admits to "inappropriate behavior" with an underage girl, but did not name Cindy Clemishire, who publicly accused Morris of sexually abusing her when she was 12 years old. That 2011 announcement was never made public because, in a letter in 2007 to the board of elders, the president suggested Morris "should not mention the family or Cindy specifically by name as this would violate their privacy." On Friday, Gateway Church released a statement that read, in part: "We have consistently and publicly said that there were elders and employees at Gateway who knew about this issue before it became public - and either didn't take action or didn't inquire further. That was fundamentally wrong - the church elders took action, and none of those individuals are a part of Gateway Church today." Meanwhile, Morris is currently facing five counts of lewd or indecent acts with a child in Oklahoma. The charges stem from alleged incidents that occurred between 1982 and 1985 in Hominy, Oklahoma, while he was a traveling preacher staying with Clemishire's family.
Yahoo
10-05-2025
- Yahoo
Robert Morris, Gateway Church founder, pleads not guilty to sexual assault
The Brief Gateway Church founder Robert Morris pleaded not guilty to sexual assault on Friday. Morris is accused of multiple instances of sexual assault beginning in 1982. Morris' accuser is now urging Texas Senators to consider new bills protecting sexual assault victims. OSAGE COUNTY, Okla. - North Texas' Gateway Church founder Robert Morris appeared in court for the first time Friday in a case related to accusations of sexual assault from the 1980s. What Happened The court appearance only lasted a few minutes, marking the first time we've seen the disgraced pastor publicly since he resigned. During the hearing, Morris' attorney entered a plea of not guilty on the former pastor's behalf. The court hearing was also the first time both the accused and the accuser were seen under the same roof since the alleged crimes. Cindy Clemishire says Morris, 63, repeatedly sexually abused her in Oklahoma, beginning when she was 12 in 1982. Morris declined to comment when exiting the courtroom. What's next Following his not-guilty plea, Morris is due back in court in September for his preliminary hearing. The backstory Morris was a founder of Gateway Church in Southlake, which began operation in 2000. He served as the church's senior pastor and, at one time, served as a spiritual advisor to President Trump. The former pastor resigned in June 2024 after Clemishire made her accusations public. Her initials, timeline of abuse and accusation details match those given in Morris' indictments, though Clemishire is not named in the court documents. Those indictments led Morris to surrender to Osage County officials on March 17. He was charged with five counts of lewd or indecent acts with a child and released on $50,000 bond. The documents say Morris committed those acts while traveling in Oklahoma. Due to Morris not being an Oklahoma resident during the alleged offenses, there is no statute of limitations preventing a conviction. In a previous statement by Gateway Church, a quote from Morris referred to an "inappropriate relationship with a young lady." He did not name Clemishire in his previous statements. These allegations reportedly came out 35 years ago; Morris stepped away from ministry for two years to receive counseling, the church said. Dig deeper Less than 24 hours before Friday's hearing, Clemishire testified before state senators in Austin to share her story. "My abuse started on Christmas night – December 25, 1982 – when I was just 12 years old. That was the night he made a pre-meditated decision to violate and defile my innocence and purity," she said. "This man, trusted by so many, as a preacher of God's word, took advantage of a vulnerable child." Clemishire says she spent years fearing Morris, who allegedly swore her to secrecy following his first reported assault. "When Robert finished his first assault on me, the very first thing he said to me was, and I quote: 'you can never tell anyone, because it'll ruin everything.'" Clemishire shared her story in support of newly-proposed legislation aimed at giving a voice to abuse survivors. Two bills were up for discussion at a Texas Senate hearing on Thursday, which would, in part, ban the use of non-disclosure agreements, or NDAs, in certain cases involving victims of abuse. "As I began the lifelong journey of dealing with the aftermath of childhood sexual abuse, my life seemed to attract more shame, while Robert's attracted more fame," said Clemishire. Clemishire, an advocate for the proposed legislation, says the bills are all about bringing cases like Morris' to light. According to Clemishire, Morris' legal team asked her to sign an NDA in 2007 - two decades after the abuse ended, and as Morris became more well-known. Clemishire says NDAs, presented as legal formalities, can also be used as tools to continue and cover up abuse. She urged lawmakers to support the proposals, saying justice may never have caught up if she had signed one. What's next The NDA bills remain pending in the Senate, and no votes were taken Thursday. As the 89th Legislative Session ends June 2, it's unclear what will happen next with the proposals. The Source Information in this article came from FOX coverage at an Osage County court. Further information was provided by Cindy Clemishire. Background information came from previous FOX reporting.
CBS News
10-05-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
Alleged victim of accused Gateway Church founder appears at court hearing: "This isn't how it was supposed to turn out"
PAWHUSKA, Okla. — Once the prominent senior pastor of Gateway Church, speaking to television and radio audiences worldwide, Robert Morris now lets his lawyers speak for him. "We're not talking today. Thank you very much. No comment. Thanks y'all," said attorney Mack Martin, as he escorted Morris and his wife into the Osage County courthouse Friday. Morris, who led one of the nation's largest churches and served as a spiritual advisor to President Trump, attended a hearing on criminal charges for the alleged sexual abuse of a 12-year-old girl in the early 1980s. Morris remains silent Robert Morris CBS News Texas Asked if the victim in the case, Cindy Clemishire, is the same "young lady" he admitted last year to engaging in "inappropriate sexual behavior" with, Morris remained silent. "We're not talking, ma'am. If you don't understand, I can speak it in a different language," Martin protested. It was Morris' first public appearance since resigning from Gateway last year in the wake of Clemishire's accusations. Alleged victim's presence in court Cindy Clemishire CBS News Texas Now in her 50s, Clemishire was also present. She arrived in court with her family, escorted by agents from the Oklahoma Attorney General's office. In a quick hearing, a judge noted Morris' presence and approved the next court date. Emotional encounter Clemishire said it was emotional just being in the same room with Morris for the first time in more than a decade. "Really, the only thing that kept going through my mind was all the way back to when we first met him, thinking, 'This isn't how it was supposed to turn out.' Like, he should never have done that and ruined everything," said Clemishire. Message of courage It may have taken decades for her to speak out, but she hopes her presence in court sends a message. "The reason I was there, my family was there, everyone was to show the world and the judge that this is an important topic and it needs to be addressed, no matter how long it's been," she said.
