Overview

• Cindy Clemishire alleges Morris began abusing her in Oklahoma in 1982 when she was 12 and that the abuse continued until 1987.
• The lawsuit names Morris’s wife, Gateway Church elders and former spokesperson Lawrence Swicegood for issuing statements that framed the abuse as a consensual relationship.
• Plaintiffs contend internal emails show church leaders acknowledged Clemishire’s age as early as 2005 yet publicly claimed ignorance when allegations emerged in 2024.
• Robert Morris was indicted in March by an Oklahoma grand jury on five felony counts of lewd or indecent acts with a child.
• Clemishire’s advocacy helped drive passage of Trey’s Law through the Texas Legislature, which now awaits Gov. Abbott’s signature to ban nondisclosure agreements in child sex abuse cases.