Defamation claims against disgraced former Gateway Church pastor mostly dismissed

A Dallas-based appeals court has tossed out most of Cindy Clemshire's defamation claims against Robert Morris, the disgraced former pastor of Gateway Church in Southlake.Gateway defamation claims dismissedMost of the defamation claims against disgraced former Gateway Church pastor Robert Morris, and other former Gateway leaders, have been dismissed by a Dallas appeals court.The appeals court ruled that First Amendment protections involving religious freedom limit civil courts from interfering with internal church governance.The defamation claims were filed by Cindy Clemshire, who Morris was found guilty of sexually abusing when she was 12-years-old in the 1980s.Clemshire's defamation claims stemmed from statements about Morris' misconduct and Gateway's alleged mishandling of its investigation. The civil case is different from Clemshire's criminal case against Morris.Gateway Church released the following statement after the ruling:We are pleased that the Court of Appeals has dismissed t