Nearly four decades after she was abused by North Texas megachurch pastor Robert Morris, Cindy Clemishire’s quest for justice is entering a new phase.

On Friday, Dallas County Judge Emily Tobolowsky laid the next steps in an ongoing civil defamation case Clemishire has brought against Morris and the church he founded, Gateway Church. Morris pled guilty earlier this month to sexually abusing Clemishire in the 1980s.

Toblowsky scheduled hearings later this month and in November, during which attorneys for Gateway Church will ask her to dismiss current and former church staff and elders from Clemishire’s lawsuit, as well as whether Clemishire’s legal team may proceed with discovery. 

In June, Clemishire and her father filed a lawsuit against Morris, Morris’ wife, Gateway Church, and several current and former church elders. A church communications staffer is also named. Clemishire’s suit alleges that the named defendants all knew of Morris’ crimes and profited from Morris’ “moral failures and rape of Plaintiff, Cindy Clemishire.” Clemishire and her father say that Morris’ and the other defendants made false statements and attempted to cover up Morris’ abuse of Clemishire. They are seeking $1 million.

A private investigation, the results of which were released in November, found that at least four of the former Gateway Church elders, Thomas Miller, Jeremy Carasco, Kevin Grove, and Gayland Lawshe, were aware of Morris’s abuse of Clemishire, who was 12 when Morris began molesting her. All four of those elders are named as defendants in Clemishire’s lawsuit. 

A hearing over whether to dismiss several elders and argue over the level of discovery will be held on Oct. 31. All other motions to dismiss will be heard on Nov. 13. 

Morris, 64, pled guilty on Oct. 2 to five charges of lewd and indecent conduct in an Oklahoma Court. He also agreed to register as a sex offender, and he is currently serving six months of a 10-year sentence in the Osage County Jail. Morris had been indicted in Oklahoma earlier this year by a grand jury in that state. Though Morris’ sprawling former church, Gateway, is located in North Texas, the legal proceedings have been held in Oklahoma because Clemishire is a resident of that state. 

On top of Clemishire’s case, Morris faces more legal troubles. Morris is currently in the midst of a protracted legal fight with Gateway Church over the millions of dollars he claims he is owed as part of a retirement agreement. Morris stepped down in 2024 when Clemishire’s allegations against him came to light. Morris admitted that he had molested Clemishire but claimed he had returned to ministry with her blessing, something Clemishire disputed.Â