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Robert Morris started the Southlake-based Gateway Church, pictured at 700 Blessed Way, in 2000. Since then, the church has expanded to several Tarrant County campus locations in Fort Worth, Southlake, Grand Prairie and North Richland Hills. (Marissa Greene | Fort Worth Report)
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Years before Gateway Church made headlines over child sexual abuse accusations against its executive pastor and founder, Robert Morris, the church was in legal hot water for how it handled accusations of abuse involving minors. 

Two separate families filed lawsuits against the Southlake-based campus in the last decade:  one in 2016, alleging a disabled child was assaulted at the church’s day care center; and another in 2020, alleging a child was sexually abused during a sleepover. 

What sets the two incidents apart from the Morris allegations is the age of the perpetrators. Both lawsuits describe assaults carried out by one child on another. About 21% of people alleged to have abused a child were themselves children and 14% of the total were teenagers, according to 2022 data from the National Children’s Alliance. 

The unfolding saga at Gateway has prompted conversations on how abuse — both sexual and nonsexual — is handled in religious settings. Experts interviewed by the Fort Worth Report said churches have an ethical and legal responsibility to take abuse seriously and be proactive in prevention efforts. When children are involved, that responsibility falls on the shoulders of adults. 

Katharine Collier Esser, assistant director of research and training services for Fort Worth-based The Women’s Center, said “problematic sexual behavior” between children is often minimized because the event might be seen as something “that can just be handled between parents.” 

If you or someone you know has been affected by sexual violence, it’s not your fault. You are not alone. Help is available 24/7 through the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE, or visit the Online Hotline, y en español en rainn.org/es.

“We have to be there to help both the victim, because they have experienced something, and the other kid who is displaying these behaviors,” Esser said. “The only real way to get that kid and those families into services that are research-based and evidence-based is for it to be reported.” 

By law, everyone in Texas is required to report knowledge of suspected child abuse or neglect. Anyone who knowingly fails to make a report could receive a Class A misdemeanor, according to Texas law. The offense can become a state jail felony for anyone intending to conceal the abuse. 

“Gateway Church has in the past and continues to abide by all state and federal mandatory reporting laws and regulations that require any organization to report abuse allegations,” said Gateway Church spokesperson Lawrence Swicegood. 

How to talk to children about abuse 

Esser said one way parents can take precautions against abuse is to give their children the right vocabulary to talk about sexual and nonsexual abuse. 

The goal for parents is to use language that includes anatomical body terms that adults can understand. If parents are uncomfortable with that, she said phrases such as “private parts,” meaning parts of the body covered by a swimsuit, can also be used. 

“Part of grooming is to instill some of that shame and to make people feel bad about certain parts of their body being touched,” Esser said. “If we can even use private parts or anatomically correct terms … that can help with preventing some of that shame that comes with what grooming adds to the abuse.” 

Alleged sexual assault at sleepover prompts lawsuit 

After a four-year legal battle, Gateway Church agreed to settle the 2020 lawsuit alleging multiple church employees were informed of a child sexual assault and failed to inform law enforcement. 

The April settlement — whose exact terms are confidential — was shared on WatchKeep, a blog that tracks church abuse allegations.

Documents obtained by the Fort Worth Report show a parent filed the lawsuit against Gateway Church after her child attended a “girl’s sleep-over” that included youth ministry participants in 2018. The parent alleged her child was sexually assaulted during that event by a male child of Gateway volunteers. 

The lawsuit alleges the child disclosed the assault to a church youth worker, who did not report it to law enforcement or Child Protective Services. Instead, the worker told other church officials. The parent only found out about the assault from her child, the suit alleged, and was ostracized by the church after speaking out. 

“Gateway Church fostered an environment conducive to sexual misconduct by its staff, employees, volunteers and/or employees and/or agents or ostensible agents by allowing them to commit sexual misconduct without consequence that law enforcement or child welfare agencies would be notified,” the lawsuit alleged. 

Looking for resources? 

Esser suggested Lena Pope’s Project SAFeR (Safety and Family Resiliency) program for families looking for resources in assessment, education and treatment planning for problematic sexual behaviors. 

In response, Gateway denied any liability, as did church officials named individually in the lawsuit. An amended suit later listed the church as the only defendant. Swicegood told the Report that the abuse did not happen at any church campus or official event. 

He said that the church “was not guilty of any cover-up or failure to report.” When an adult heard about the allegations, they reported it to proper authorities within 48 hours, Swicegood said. 

“This non-Gateway related case — that was properly reported by an adult — was turned over to Gateway’s insurance company and their attorneys when the lawsuit was filed,” Swicegood said. 

A judge initially ruled in Gateway’s favor and dismissed the suit in 2023. The parent filed an appeal, and both parties reached a confidential settlement agreement in April 2024. Gateway Church denied any liability and entered into the settlement agreement “solely to buy peace,” according to the final judgment obtained by the Report.

Swicegood called the settlement a “compromise of disputed claims” that Gateway justly defended in court. 

“After the mother of the girl went through six different attorneys, the insurance company decided to provide a settlement to avoid further litigation and expense,” he said. 

A group of people gathered with signs outside of Gateway Church’s Southlake campus on June 22, 2024, during the church’s June 22 service. (Marissa Greene | Fort Worth Report)

Multiple church officials named in the initial suit are still working at Gateway, including Sion Alford, Rebecca Wilson and Samantha Golden.

Alison Feigh, director of the Zero Abuse Project’s Jacob Wetterling Resource Center, said it’s important for adults to have preventive measures in place to protect children. Some examples might include talking about sleeping arrangements for overnight events and who is chaperoning and what are the behavioral expectations for everyone involved. 

“It’s a kid’s job to be a kid, and it’s the grown-ups’ job to keep them safe,” she said. “So, it’s about adults owning that this is a problem anytime kids gather. There can be people with bad intentions who are there for the wrong reasons.” 

Second suit alleges assault at Gateway day care program

In February 2016, a couple filed a lawsuit against Gateway Church on behalf of their disabled son. 

Gateway, the couple alleged, provided day care for their then-4-year-old child while they were attending church services. Church officials assured them their son would receive one-on-one attention and care, and vouched for his safety in the program. 

In December 2014, however, the family said their son was assaulted by another boy at the day care. They discovered the assault after church services concluded, according to the suit, and rushed him to the hospital. The couple alleged another employee said this was the second assault the boy in question had carried out. 

After the assault, Gateway’s insurance company contacted the couple and asked if they’d seen the video of the assault, according to the suit. The couple had not been informed that a video existed before the insurance company reached out. 

The lawsuit alleges Ken Jackson, executive pastor of the day care program, told them the video had been destroyed. Afterward, a second insurance agent told the couple that the video still existed but that Gateway declined to provide it to them. Ultimately, the couple hired a lawyer to try to obtain the video, only to be told that most of the footage had been destroyed, according to the suit. 

Gateway denied any wrongdoing. Swicegood did not comment on the lawsuit. 

The lawsuit was settled in December 2016 for $35,000. Of that, $12,243 went to attorney fees, and $22,756 went to an annuity policy for the disabled child. Under the policy, the child would receive $3,270 annually for 10 years, starting in 2028 and ending in 2037. 

Unsafe vs. confusing touch, explained: 

Esser said one way parents can take precautions is by giving their children vocabulary to talk about abuse, such as “unsafe touch” and “confusing touch.”

Unsafe touch: Whenever anybody hits or kicks or touches someone in a way that leaves a bruise or a red mark, called a welt, or causes bleeding. 

Confusing touch: Whenever anybody tries to look at, take a picture of or touch one’s genitals or asks the person to do that to them.

She also recommends starting conversations with children as early as 4 or 5 years old. 

“Start conversations early. We talk about fire safety. We talk about other personal safety,” Esser said. “But we don’t talk about this.” 

Creating policies, open conversations in religious spaces

Pete Singer, executive director of Godly Response to Abuse in the Christian Environment, said that in addition to legal measures, there is “a higher call” on faith leaders to proactively develop policies with clear expectations on behavioral conduct and offer pathways to reporting abuse. 

“It is a huge step towards safety,” Singer said, “to have these policies known by the congregation, known by parents before they are needed. That’s just absolutely essential.” 

Swicegood told the Report that the church’s staff are trained on safety and reporting procedures.

“Gateway Church constantly and regularly seeks ways to improve on all safety and security procedures, screening and training of staff and volunteers,” he said. 

What we know about Gateway’s investigation on Robert Morris:  

Robert Morris, founder and senior pastor of Gateway Church, resigned from the North Texas-based megachurch June 18. The resignation came days after he was accused of sexually abusing a then-12-year-old girl in the 1980s. 

 Gateway Church hired law firm Haynes and Boone to look into the matter.

Three church elders — Kevin Grove, Steve Dulin and Gayland Lawshe — are to take a temporary leave of absence, per the firm’s recommendation.

 Robert Morris’ son and church elder James Morris will step down from the board temporarily. 

James Morris and the other elders can continue to serve as staff members at the church, according to the board’s June 28 statement. 

Feigh said she acknowledges that it may be difficult for parents to think that abuse can happen to their kids in community spaces, like churches and schools, or with people seen as safe. However, having a policy in place before the abuse happens can give someone a plan on how to act if the event occurs. 

“The behavior thrives when we don’t shine a light on the fact that it could happen,” she said. “And so, we have to get over our collective discomfort as parents or as grandparents or as leaders or as caregivers and say, ‘Yep, this is something that makes me uncomfortable. Yes, I wish this didn’t happen to kids, but I need to learn about this. I need to make sure that I’m a voice that’s there for kids.’” 

Esser tells parents that conversations surrounding abuse don’t have to be seen as scary. One parent she knows does regular check-ins when picking their kid up from school, she said. They ask the child if they had any safe, unsafe or confusing touches that day, to normalize discussing a traditionally taboo topic. 

”We don’t want to scare kids,” Esser said. “But we want them to know it has happened to some and if it has, if it ever happens to you or anyone you know, you can say, ‘No, get away,’ and always tell a trusted adult.” 

Marissa Greene is a Report for America corps member, covering faith for the Fort Worth Report. Contact her at marissa.greene@fortworthreport.org or @marissaygreene. 

Emily Wolf is a government accountability reporter for the Fort Worth Report. Contact her at emily.wolf@fortworthreport.org or @_wolfemily

At the Fort Worth Report, news decisions are made independently of our board members and financial supporters. Read more about our editorial independence policy here.