Texas bans secret agreements in sex abuse cases such as Gateway Church scandal
A bill restricting nondisclosure agreements in sexual abuse cases is headed to Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s desk.
Cindy Clemishire, a woman whom Gateway Church’s former lead pastor Robert Morris is accused of abusing as a child, supported the bill and testified in favor of the proposed law as it made its way through the legislative process.
“NDAs may be presented as legal formalities, but in cases like mine, they are tools that continue the abuse,” Clemishire said during a May committee hearing. “They protect the abuser and keep victims in shame.”
Clemishire told lawmakers she was groomed and abused by Morris beginning at the age of 12. Morris is facing criminal charges in Oklahoma related to the alleged abuse. Clemishire said she refused an NDA years later as part of a settlement while seeking financial restitution.
The bill approved by the Texas Legislature — Senate Bill 835, named “Trey’s Law” — bars NDAs in civil cases that prohibit a person who was sexually abused from speaking out about the abuse. The law applies to sexual abuse cases also involving a child or trafficking.
The bill was named after Trey Carlock, a Dallas native who died by suicide in 2019 at the age of 28 after being abused by a Missouri summer camp director. His sister, Elizabeth Phillips, testified he was under a NDA.
“Trey’s Law is a truly historic victory for survivors and victims and a death blow for their perpetrators hiding in the shadows,” said Rep. Jeff Leach, a Plano Republican, in a social media post.
Lawmakers met over the long weekend as they consider bills in the Legislature’s final days. Tuesday is the last day the House can hear most major Senate bills, a critical deadline for legislation.
The bill authored by Sen. Angela Paxton, a McKinney Republican, passed out of the Senate on May 15, and advanced from the House on May 26. The House passed another iteration of the bill that Leach authored earlier in the legislative session.
“This is a critical step forward for justice, transparency, and the protection of future victims,” Paxton said. “For too long, powerful institutions and individuals have used NDAs as a tool to cover up abuse and silence the voices of those they’ve harmed. Trey’s Law ensures that survivors can speak their truth - and abusers and those who enable them can no longer hide behind legal loopholes.”
The bill takes effect Sept. 1 if signed into law.
“Governor Abbott has worked to support sexual assault survivors across Texas throughout his time in office,” Abbott Spokesperson Andrew Mahaleris said in a May 28 statement. “The Governor will continue working with the legislature to ensure survivors get the support they need and to bring these heinous criminals to justice. The Governor will closely review any legislation sent to his desk.”
This story was originally published May 27, 2025 at 9:52 AM.
