Appeals Court Dismisses Defamation Lawsuit Against Gateway Church

The Fifth Court of Appeals in Dallas has dismissed a defamation lawsuit filed by Cindy Clemishire against Gateway Church in Southlake, Texas. In a 21-page opinion, Justice Mike Lee stated that the court lacked jurisdiction to hear the case, citing the ecclesiastical abstention doctrine. This legal principle prevents civil courts from intervening in matters of church governance and doctrine. The ruling overturns a previous decision by District Judge Emily Tobolowsky, who had initially denied the church's motion to dismiss the case.

The court determined that the claims were too closely linked to internal church matters for judicial resolution. While the church and three elders—John D. "Tra" Willbanks, Kenneth W. Fambro II, and Dane Minor—have been dismissed from the litigation, the court issued a separate opinion allowing one claim to proceed against Gateway founder Robert Morris. Morris previously pleaded guilty to sexually abusing Clemishire in the 1980s and received a six-month jail term and a 10-year suspended sentence in Oklahoma last year. The appellate court did not rule on the merits of the defamation allegations regarding statements made by the church.