Robert Preston Morris — once a familiar face in American evangelicalism and a past spiritual adviser to political leaders — now stands at the center of two painful conversations about trust, accountability and harm: one a decades-old allegation of child sexual abuse that finally produced criminal charges and a guilty plea; the other a modern cautionary tale about the risks of livestreaming in a clinical setting. Both stories are different in scale and consequence, but each exposes how positions of authority and the speed of public platforms can deepen the damage when boundaries fail. The Texas Tribune+1

A long-delayed reckoning

In March 2025, an Oklahoma grand jury returned an indictment charging Robert Morris with five counts of lewd or indecent acts with a child — allegations that date back to the early 1980s, when the victim says the abuse began when she was 12 and Morris was a traveling evangelist. The indictment and related reporting reopened a wound that the survivor and many in the community have carried for decades. The Texas Tribune+1

That legal process moved forward again in October 2025, when Oklahoma authorities announced Morris had pleaded guilty to the five felony counts. State officials said the plea carries a multi-year sentence on paper, though the plea agreement and its implementation include terms that drew intense public scrutiny, including a limited county-jail term and supervision requirements. The Oklahoma Attorney General’s office posted the case materials and newsroom announcement detailing the plea. Welcome to Oklahoma’s Official Web Site

For the woman who brought the allegations, the indictment and subsequent plea have been described as a measure of overdue accountability. In a statement circulated by her attorney, she said the law had finally caught up with Morris and expressed gratitude to authorities for their work. That public response — after decades of silence and pain — underscores how long survivors often wait for the justice system to move. The Texas Tribune

Ripples through a congregation and beyond

Gateway Church — the Dallas-area congregation Morris founded and led for years — faced immediate turmoil as details emerged. Church leadership removed several elders and employees tied to the handling of past complaints, and the institution acknowledged a failure of culture as it confronted criticism for what survivors and watchdogs described as a pattern of protection and silence. Those personnel changes and the church’s public reckonings were widely reported as part of the fallout. The Guardian

Beyond organizational consequences, civil actions followed: the survivor and her family later filed a lawsuit alleging not only the abuse but also a cover-up that enriched the institution while silencing victims. Such suits are part of a broader pattern in which survivors pursue multiple paths — criminal, civil and public — to force accountability and change. CBS News

A very different — but related — lesson about duty and visibility

In the spring of 2025, a separate incident highlighted how modern social platforms can collide with professional obligations. A newly licensed nurse, identified in reporting as Yazz Scott, went live on TikTok while performing a medication pass at work. Viewers observed and warned of potential privacy and safety concerns in real time; the livestream captured a medication error and, according to reporting and regulatory observers, included at least one spoken patient name and other details that raised HIPAA and professional-conduct questions. The episode went viral and prompted complaints to the employer and to nursing regulators. The HIPAA Journal+1

The nurse’s employer reportedly suspended then terminated her, and state nursing authorities opened an investigation into whether the livestream violated patient-privacy laws or professional standards. The incident became a flashpoint in conversations among clinicians about boundaries, social media etiquette, and how public performance can quickly compromise patient safety and trust. The HIPAA Journal

What ties these stories together

They are not the same story. One is criminal and civil accountability for historic abuse by a high-profile religious leader; the other is an immediate public-safety and privacy concern amplified by social media. Still, both reveal similar dynamics:

• Trust is conditional and fragile. Whether a pastor, an elder, or a caregiver, people in positions of authority are entrusted with the physical and emotional safety of others. When boundaries are crossed, the harm is both personal and communal.
• Institutions matter. Organizations — churches, hospitals, employers — either protect or fail those who are vulnerable. Structural failures (silence, cover-ups, lax policies) compound individual wrongdoing.
• The public square is faster than repair. Social media can surface wrongdoing and catalyze accountability, but it can also expose victims, complicate investigations, and create moments that are unforgiving in real time.
• Survivors and whistleblowers carry heavy costs. The survivor in the Morris case lived with the consequences of abuse for decades; those who speak up often face disbelief, retraumatization, or institutional pushback. Public scrutiny does not erase the personal toll.

Moving forward: accountability, care, and humility

Meaningful change requires more than headlines. For religious institutions, that means independent reporting mechanisms, survivor-centered policies, and transparent cooperation with law enforcement. For healthcare, it means clearer social-media guidance, stronger training about privacy and professional boundaries, and supervisory cultures that intervene before errors become public crises. For the public, it means listening to survivors without reflexive dismissal and holding institutions — not just individuals — to account.

When people in trusted roles betray that trust, the cost is borne most heavily by the vulnerable. Justice and reform are not a single victory but a process: legal outcomes, institutional reforms, and cultural change that reduces power imbalances and prevents future harm.