A leading expert and advocate in the field of clergy sexual abuse at Baylor University is now himself accused of personal and professional misbehavior with abuse survivors.
An independent investigation, initiated by a national nonprofit that helps survivors of adult clergy abuse, found “credible” evidence that David Pooler, therapist and professor at the Diana R. Garland School of Social Work, engaged in “verbal or virtual sexual misconduct.”
That included making sexualized remarks and disregarding personal and professional boundaries at multiple times and places with women he knew had been abused.
The report was released by the nonprofit Restored Voices Collective, a clergy abuse survivor support organization that Pooler served as an advisory board member. A firm called Godly Response to Abuse in the Christian Environment, or GRACE, began the inquiry in September 2025.
The report — which Baylor was not directly involved with — was released in July.
The inquiry includes the testimony of a woman from the Restored Voices Collective who had credited Pooler for helping her report her experience with clergy sexual abuse. She told investigators that at a Restored Voices Collective conference, he caused her distress with unwanted physical contact and comments. For example, he told her “she was sexy” and that men were interested in her because they wanted to have sex, according to the report.
Pooler did not return an email request left Wednesday evening seeking comment on the allegations. Baylor University said it is reviewing the allegations.
The GRACE report also includes testimony of an abuse survivor who studied under Pooler at Baylor on the subject of clergy abuse.
The student, who has now graduated, went to social work school officials in 2025 and reported unprofessional behavior, according to the report.
In one incident that involved a disagreement over whether to include sexually explicit questions in a research study of survivors, the student reported that Pooler began directing “sexually invasive” questions toward her, causing a response that later required medical attention.
The student told investigators that social work officials agreed Pooler’s comments were “unacceptable,” and she was eventually reassigned to another adviser. She reported the incident to Baylor’s Title IX office, according to the report.
The report concludes that Pooler was respected and admired by many for his advocacy for clergy abuse victims, but he also showed a pattern of “explicit, sexual, and suggestive language” in inappropriate contexts.
“Collective witness accounts describe a pattern of behavior corroborated by contemporaneous disclosures and consistent themes of boundary-blurring and inappropriate sexual discourse across different settings,” the report states.
Baylor responded to the results of the investigation this week with a statement after inquiries from the Bridge and the Baylor Lariat, which reported the story Monday.
“Baylor University is aware of recent reports regarding Dr. David Pooler’s professional and academic activities,” the statement reads. “We take any allegations of this nature very seriously. We are in the process of looking into this matter in accordance with our institutional policies and procedures. Baylor is fully committed to supporting responsible professional and academic practices, in addition to adherence to internal and external policies. The university will continue to monitor the situation, and we will decline to comment further.”
Scholar and practitioner
Pooler is known nationwide for his research and advocacy exposing ministerial manipulation and abuse and helping survivors with recovery. He is listed as director of the Baylor School of Social Work’s Adult Clergy Sexual Abuse Advocacy and Research Collaborative.
His research in the field of clerical abuse followed up on the pioneering work of Diana Garland, the namesake dean of the social work school who died in 2015. Under Garland’s leadership, the school conducted the largest national study of clergy sexual misconduct.
In addition to publishing studies on the subject, Pooler has also directly counseled survivors of religious abuse and trauma for years as a licensed social worker, according to the GRACE report.
Some 30 current and former students and staff signed an open letter Aug. 7 asking the School of Social Work to take disciplinary action against Pooler, citing the report.
“For years, complaints have been made about Dr. Pooler concerning his inappropriate behavior. Unfortunately, these concerns were unaddressed meaningfully by the GSSW,” the letter states. “It ultimately took an independent investigation to document the harm Dr. Pooler has inflicted while abusing his position of power and trust as a professor, mental health clinician, and advocate.”
