Southlake megachurch Gateway Church refused a request from Robert Morris asking for millions of dollars as part of his retirement after the now-disgraced pastor left in the wake of sexual abuse allegations, according to court filings Tuesday.
Morris, 63, resigned from the church last June after he was accused of sexually abusing a child during the 1980s for more than four years. The disgraced pastor has since been indicted in Oklahoma — where the alleged abuse occurred — on five counts of lewd or indecent acts to a child.
The church accused Morris of being "laser focused" on securing his retirement payout. Morris' lawyers met with Gateway less than two months after resigning requesting "financial commitments" from the church and sent a letter demanding his payment the month after, according to court records.
"The revelation of Morris's alleged child sex crimes has caused tremendous damage both to Gateway and the reputation of the church nationwide," the church said in court documents. "Morris was right to resign from his position as pastor. And Gateway is confident that Morris's definitive but tragic disqualification from the pulpit also precludes him from obtaining the millions of dollars in present and future retirement benefits he now seeks."
KERA News reached out to Morris' attorney and will update this story with any response.
Gateway claims Morris asked for $1 million upfront, then $800,000 a year until he turns 70, followed by $600,000 a year for the rest of his and his wife's lives.
"Shortly after the troubling revelations about his past conduct came to light last year, Robert Morris reached out to Gateway Church with a series of substantial financial demands," the church said in an email to KERA News. "Gateway Church has chosen not to meet those demands. In response, Robert Morris has filed a lawsuit in arbitration seeking financial compensation. His claims are false and do not reflect accountability for the impact of his actions on the community. We are filing our own response to this lawsuit, affirming our commitment to addressing these issues thoughtfully and thoroughly. We recognize the pain that has been felt by so many, and we are dedicated to maintaining the trust of our church family as we navigate this situation."
Court records showed Morris' attorney filed a private demand for arbitration of the payout dispute — a process in which disputing parties agree to have their case heard by a third party instead of going to court.
Morris alleged the church forced him out of his employment amid the sexual abuse allegations by telling him he would be terminated if he did not step down immediately. He also said he was "not given the opportunity to seek legal counsel to ensure his rights and benefits."
Morris made his first court appearance earlier this week in Osage County as the case begins to play out.
He's set to appear again Sept. 4.
Penelope Rivera is KERA's breaking news reporter. Got a tip? Email Penelope Rivera at privera@kera.org.
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