4 July 4–10, 2024 dallasobserver.com DALLAS OBSERVER Classified | MusiC | dish | Culture | unfair Park | Contents Do Ask, Do Tell State lawmakers are speaking out following the child sex abuse allegation that rocked Gateway Church in Southlake earlier this month. BY EMMA RUBY I n the wake of a child sex abuse allegation against Southlake megachurch minister Robert Morris, state representatives are speaking out against laws that they believe allow child abuse enablers to go unpunished. Morris founded the Gateway Church in 2000 and resigned from his prominent position on June 20 after a woman, Cindy Clemishire, detailed sexual abuse that she says took place beginning in 1982, when she was 12 years old. In a statement to The Christian Post, Morris admitted to “kissing and petting” a “young woman” on “several occasions.” While the church has begun an independent investigation into the allegations, some state lawmakers are pointing to legal changes that can be made to pursue stronger penalties against perpetrators. “His board members should be sued. He should be sued,” state Rep. Steve Toth, who represents the Woodlands, told WFAA. “We want to bring total clarity to the fact that you do this stuff, you cover up, and there’s going to be criminal and civil consequences.” Among Toth’s proposed changes was raising the penalty for abusers and mandating that church board members become mandatory reporters, which would legally require a board member with any knowledge of abuse to approach law enforcement about the information. But Michelle Simpson Tuegel, a Dallas-based victim’s rights attorney who has represented victims in litigation involving sexual abuse by disgraced USA Gymnastics national team doctor Larry Nassar and in clergy abuse scandals similar to Gateway’s, doesn’t believe mandatory reporting legislation is the most effective course when it comes to helping victims. While she won’t argue against legislation meant to help victims, Tuegel said it is uncommon for district attorneys to pursue charges against individuals who failed to report abuse. “The Károlyis had information about [Larry Nassar],” Tuegel told the Observer. “We held a press conference in front of the Attorney General’s office in Texas begging them to prosecute the Károlyis for failing to report, and no one was ever prosecuted for that. And there were hundreds of victims.” (Béla Károlyi owned a gymnastics training facility where Nassar gained access to victims.) In cases of abuse at the hands of an institution — whether it be a tight-knit sports community, an evangelical summer camp or a megachurch — “nine times out of 10” there were adults within the organization who were “on notice,” but those individuals are seldom held accountable, she said. Toth said working to educate district attorneys across the state on the necessity of prosecuting and indicting individuals who helped conceal child sex abuse would be part of his proposed legislation. But even more effective, Tuegel believes, would be opening a “look-back window” that grants victims a chance to file a civil case against their abusers even after the statute of limitations has expired. In civil cases, Texas currently honors the statute of limitations that was in place at the time the abuse happened; as of 2019, victims have 30 years from the time they turn 18 to report their crime. For Clemishire, whose alleged abuse took place in the early 1980s, the statute of limitations expired when she was only 20 years old. “We know a lot of survivors don’t come forward until well into adulthood, so that’s why laws like this are so important,” Tuegel said. “There are thousands and thousands of survivors whose statute of limitations ran out before they were ever able to disclose, and those people deserve a chance at seeking some measure of justice.” Tuegel has advocated for look-back windows in New York and Louisiana, and in both cases, has seen “hundreds” of victims get the chance to pursue justice in their abuse cases. The Louisiana State Supreme Court recently upheld the constitutionality of the state’s look-back window, which will allow child sex abuse victims to file cases through 2027. The list of state lawmakers who have spoken out about Morris is a who’s who of Texas politics, and Tuegel hopes it turns into the type of momentum toward victims’ rights reform for which she has advocated for years, and she hopes that legislation is fashioned with victims’ rights and needs at the forefront. State Rep. Jeff Leach, whose district covers Plano, told The Dallas Morning News he intends to join lawmakers in examining the state laws surrounding child sex abuse in the 2025 legislative session. “The Texas Legislature must continue to improve our laws protecting and ensuring justice for victims of childhood sexual abuse and holding criminals and those who aid them responsible,” Leach said. “Texas should be leading in this area — and as the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee and a longtime advocate for victims and their families — I intend to lock arms with fellow lawmakers to do just that.” ▼ EDUCATION TRANS TATTLETALES MANSFIELD ISD STAFF WILL NOTIFY PARENTS IF THEIR KID IS TRANSGENDER. BY JACOB VAUGHN T he Mansfield Independent School District approved a policy last week that requires staff to notify parents if their child asks to use a pronoun or bathroom that doesn’t correspond to the gender on their birth certificate. The measure passed despite efforts to delay the vote, a warning from the American Civil Liberties Union of Texas and the presence of people who came to the board meeting to speak against the policy. “Mansfield ISD’s actions are simply bullying masquerading as policy,” ACLU of Texas attorney Chloe Kempf said in an emailed statement to the Observer. Kempf said it’s unlawful and harmful to target LGBTQIA+ students with policies like these. “All students—no matter their gender, sexual orientation, race, or religion— deserve a safe and inclusive educational environment,” Kempf said. School board trustee Benita Reed tried unsuccessfully to table the vote on the policy until next month to allow for more discussion. Reed said she was worried about the policy getting the board into a legal battle. “I think everyone here knows that I am adamant about not going to court,” Reed said. “I want to do what is best for the students.” She recommended a form for parents and students to fill out to determine how they would like situations like this to be handled. “Is there another way that we can restructure this so that we empower the parents and the family to make a decision and not make teachers afraid of their jobs and not make children afraid of the learning environment which should be safe?” Reed asked. But board chair Keziah Farrar disagreed, saying the way the policy was written does empower parents. “It is literally just saying that if a student makes a request that we notify the parents,” she said. “And I think there’s a misunderstanding that the teachers are going to be responsible for this. That’s not the case at all. This will all be run by student services.” Reed said that while the board may agree about the need to empower parents, it may have different approaches to doing that. “Maybe some of the language could be different,” she suggested. “Some people may not want to be identified.” Board trustee Michelle Newsom said she didn’t disagree entirely with what Reed was saying, recognizing that this is a challenging issue. “We walk a fine line between balancing parental rights versus student rights for all decisions that are made,” she said. “That’s a very hard decision depending on your lens and your perspective.” But Newsom still backed the policy. She said professionals came up with the policy and that the board should listen to them. The board approved the policy in a 4–2 vote. Ahead of the board meeting, the ACLU of Texas sent trustees a letter warning what the policy could mean for LGBTQIA+ students. The organization pointed out that the policy is similar to those passed in the Katy and Keller independent school districts. Katy ISD is the subject of a federal civil rights investigation, and Keller ISD faces a civil rights complaint. The letter also mentioned the potential harmful effects of misgendering people. “When transgender students can use their affirming name and pronouns at school, they are 29% less likely to experience suicidal ideation and 56% less likely to engage in suicidal behavior,” the ACLU letter said. “School boards’ decisions with respect to the use of affirming pronouns therefore have a direct and immediate impact on students’ mental health.” The ACLU added: “In addition to the challenges and worries that all youth face, transgender and non-binary young people have been recently confronted with significant harm and discrimination here in | UNFAIR PARK | Jared Stump/Wikimedia Commons Gateway Church pastor Robert Morris admitted to kissing and petting a “young woman,” who many believe was only 12 years old at the time of the abuse. >> p6
