Morris resigned in June after admitting to the incident. His accuser Cindy Clemishire previously claimed that the pastor had begun abusing her on Christmas Day in 1982.
Clemishire, now 52, said that Morris and his wife had been staying at her family home at the time when he asked her to come into his room, whereafter he told her to lay on his bed and then began touching her inappropriately.
She said the abuse had continued until 1987 when she told her parents.
However, 25 years after the incident, a lawyer for Morris – J Shelby Sharpe – claimed that it was the child who was actually to blame.
Here are a few examples of insurance companies that offer molestation insurance, specifically tailored for churches and religious organizations:
Church Mutual Insurance Company: This company provides a range of insurance products for religious organizations, including sexual misconduct liability insurance. They offer coverage for legal defense costs, settlements, and other expenses related to allegations of sexual abuse or molestation.
GuideOne Insurance: GuideOne specializes in insurance for churches and nonprofit organizations. They offer sexual misconduct liability coverage as part of their comprehensive church insurance packages, helping protect against claims of sexual abuse.
Brotherhood Mutual Insurance Company: Brotherhood Mutual offers insurance products designed for churches and ministries, including coverage for sexual misconduct liability. Their policies can help cover legal expenses, settlements, and other costs associated with sexual abuse allegations.
Philadelphia Insurance Companies: Philadelphia Insurance Companies provides specialized insurance solutions for religious organizations, including coverage for sexual misconduct and molestation. They offer policies that cover legal defense, settlements, and related costs.
ChurchWest Insurance Services: ChurchWest provides insurance solutions for churches and religious institutions, including sexual misconduct liability insurance. Their policies are designed to protect organizations from the financial and reputational damage that can result from such claims.
These companies offer tailored policies that address the unique risks faced by religious organizations, providing financial protection and support in the event of allegations of sexual misconduct. It's important for churches to work with an experienced insurance broker or agent to ensure they have the appropriate coverage in place.
The idea hadn't even crossed my mind that this was a real thing. I had to search it up because, my brain couldn't compute. Boom, 5 links talking about "SAMs".
Boy Scouts had this problem and implemented the “Rule of 2” - never leave a single adult alone with an unrelated kid, need to have at least two. But nope, let’s stick the twenty something youth pastor in a room alone with teenage girls… guess the insurance payout is if the parents don’t force the girl to marry the rapist…
An old coworker of mine at an old job was involved in Scouts as a den leader or whatever it's called, and he was telling us about the Rule of 2. The organization apparently took it really fucking seriously when there was a child sexual abuse case with a den leader. Rule of 2, mandatory training on recognizing and reporting abuse. They basically went full Title 9.
On a lighter note, this was also around the time Boy Scouts rebranded into Scouts and started letting girls join. My coworker said the one girl in his group excelled over everyone else and was quite skilled at everything. The organization made a great decision in making the group coed.