Gateway Church faces new lawsuit from woman who alleges she was abused at 13

Gateway Church in Southlake, Texas, is facing a new lawsuit from a woman who alleges she was groomed and sexually abused at the age of 13 by an older participant in a youth group hosted by the church at King's University beginning in 2016.

Julia Long claims in the lawsuit, cited by The Fort Worth Star-Telegram, that she regularly attended nighttime youth group meetings at the Southlake-based university as a teenager, which catered to some 200 members between 11 and 18.

The lawsuit states that the group had little or no supervision by Gateway's counselors, pastors, leaders, chaperones or volunteers, which created an environment allowing then 17-year-old Gabriel Snyder to allegedly groom Long using "biblical beliefs and teachings of ... Gateway's pastor and ministers."

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She alleges that Snyder, who is now 25 and imprisoned at the Hightower Unit in Dayton, Texas, for the sexual assault of a child in a separate case, convinced her that it was God's will that she submit to him as a female.

Though Snyder has not been criminally charged in this case, Long alleges Snyder sexually assaulted her outside King's University at night multiple times beginning in December 2016 until February 2017 when she was 13. By that time, Snyder had turned 18. The lawsuit states that there were surveillance cameras above the areas where she was assaulted, but she didn't receive help from anyone. 

She is seeking more than $1 million for assault, negligence and damages. 

In a statement to CBS News Texas, Gateway Church said it takes abuse claims "very seriously" but is "unable to further comment regarding ongoing litigation at this time."

The lawsuit follows the recent resignation of the church's founder, Robert Morris, who resigned amid allegations he sexually abused a 12-year-old in the 1980s. 

George Boll, Long's attorney, told the news outlet that his client decided to go public with her story and identity as part of her healing process.

"This lawsuit is part of a healing process for her. … She had the chance to be Jane Doe but chose not to because she was a victim here. This is part of her healing process," Boll said.

In April, two months before Morris resigned over his allegation of child sex abuse, Gateway Church settled a lawsuit in which at least five Gateway Church pastors and a youth leader were accused of concealing the sexual assault of another minor by a church member.

The initial lawsuit was filed in Tarrant County Texas in August 2020 on behalf of a minor identified as A.D. and her mother.

Gateway Church, Denise Edwards and youth leader Logan Edwards were all named as defendants, along with Doug Vaughn and Gateway Church pastors Kelly Jones, Rebecca Wilson, Samantha Golden, Mondo Davis and Sion Alford.

The plaintiffs in the case were both members of Gateway and sought damages of more than $200,000 but not more than $5,000,000. Gateway employees were accused of gross negligence and breach of their fiduciary duty to the plaintiffs as members.

In settling the case on April 18, Gateway Church and its pastors admitted no liability and stated that they only settled the lawsuit for an undisclosed amount to "buy peace."

In June, 54-year-old Cindy Clemishire reported that Morris began sexually abusing her on Dec. 25, 1982, when she was just 12 years old. Morris was a married young adult traveling evangelist at the time. Clemishire says the abuse continued for 4.5 years before Morris' actions came to light. But he was later allowed to return to ministry.

Clemishire contends that officials at Gateway Church were informed of her allegations against Morris for years. However, Executive Director of Gateway Media Lawrence Swicegood reiterated in a statement to The Christian Post that the current board of elders did not know that the megachurch founder had been accused of child sex abuse.

"The Board of Elders called a special meeting and accepted the resignation of Pastor Robert Morris several weeks ago. Gateway Church is committed to protecting people — first and foremost children and the most vulnerable. Abuse simply cannot be tolerated," he said.

"The Board of Elders has retained the law firm Haynes and Boone, LLP to conduct a thorough and independent inquiry so that the facts can be understood. Even though this abuse occurred many years before Gateway was established, the Elders are committed to finding the truth and holding people accountable."