Gateway Church is refuting claims made in a lawsuit that alleges that a youth group member at the megachurch located in the Dallas-Ft. Worth area groomed and assaulted a teenage girl over several months, Katy Barber of MySanAntonio.com reported. The girl’s family was deeply involved and committed members of the church and alleges that defendant Gabriel Snyder was 17 years old when he began allegedly grooming the girl when she was 13-years-old. The suit alleges the church was negligent in how the youth group was supervised.
The lawsuit alleges that the assaults were conducted from December 2016 to February 2017. Snyder, now 25, turned 18 before the alleged assault stopped.
The lawsuit alleges that the youth group member manipulated the 13-year-old girl by using Gateway Church’s teachings to convince her it was God’s will for her to submit to him due to their gender roles, claiming church leaders supported this belief.
The lawsuit indicates that surveillance cameras were present in the areas where the 13-year-old girl was sexually assaulted, yet no one from Gateway Church intervened to assist her.
The 13-year-old was not the only youth group member whom Snyder assaulted, the lawsuit claims.
Snyder is currently serving time in a Texas federal prison for the sexual assault of a minor under 17 in an unrelated case from October 2016. His projected release date for that conviction is October 30.
According to the complaint, more than 200 youths, aged 11 to 18, participated in weekly sessions, with “little to no supervision” provided by church leaders, including youth counselors and volunteers. The girl’s family is seeking over $1 million in damages. On September 20, Gateway Church responded to the lawsuit, denying the allegations and requesting “strict proof” of the assaults. The church has also called for the case to go to trial.
Prior to this scandal, the church is grappling with the resignation of its founder, Robert Morris, who stepped down following accusations of sexual abuse dating back to the 1980s. Cindy Clemishire publicly accused Morris of abusing her when she was 12, alleging the abuse spanned several years. Morris admitted to inappropriate behavior with a young woman but initially did not disclose her age. The church has since launched an independent investigation and hired a law firm to review the allegations.
These revelations have led to internal upheaval, including a significant drop in church attendance and growing calls for leadership reform. Members have criticized the church for elevating pastors like Morris to celebrity status, and former church leaders have urged a shift in priorities back to the core values of faith.
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