The senior Catholic chaplain of Oxford University has been formally removed from his post after allegations of “inappropriate behaviour” with a student emerged. The alleged victim has told the Catholic Herald that he has also reported the matter to the police.
In a statement published on the chaplaincy website, the Oxford and Cambridge Catholic Education Board said that Fr Damian Howard SJ was asked to step down from his role at the Oxford University Catholic Chaplaincy “on the grounds of professional misconduct, following a complaint made by a student, which was investigated by the Jesuits in Britain and found to be substantiated”.
The statement continued: “We continue to take very seriously the wellbeing and welfare of students and all members of the chaplaincy community. Anyone who has concerns relating to this matter should speak to one of the chaplains.”
Fr Howard served as senior chaplain from 2023 to 2025. The complaint was made to the Jesuits in Britain on 30 July last year. An independent review is being conducted by the Catholic Safeguarding Standards Agency.
The chaplaincy has been staffed by Jesuits since 2007. In a separate statement published on its website, Jesuits in Britain said: “We are committed to the safety and wellbeing of everyone in our communities, and have strengthened our practices over the years to ensure our institutions remain safe, supportive, and respectful places for all.”
It confirmed: “Fr Damian Howard SJ was asked to step down as senior chaplain at Oxford University Catholic Chaplaincy in August 2025 due to professional misconduct, following a complaint that was investigated and substantiated.”
It added: “The complaint was addressed immediately when it came to our attention. A safeguarding investigation confirmed that inappropriate behaviour had occurred, which we regard as entirely unacceptable. He was asked to step down and has been out of ministry ever since.”
Jesuits in Britain said they are awaiting the recommendations of the Catholic Safeguarding Standards Agency review. The matter has also been reported to the Charity Commission and to the relevant authorities. The statement concluded: “We take our safeguarding responsibilities very seriously and will continue to act as required.”
The Catholic Herald has spoken to the alleged victim, who wished to remain anonymous, and who said he had reported the matter to the police. He said he had serious grievances surrounding what he described as a cover up, raising concerns about how the complaint was handled after it was first made. He said he decided to approach the authorities independently because of the gravity of the situation, the way the investigation was being dealt with, and the distress it had caused him.
Documentation seen by the Catholic Herald sets out in detail the substance of the allegation made against Fr Damian Howard SJ, the points he is said to have agreed during the Jesuit investigation, and the subsequent disputes over how the case was handled, reviewed, and recorded.
The documentation indicates that during the initial safeguarding investigation conducted by the Jesuits in Britain, Fr Howard accepted key elements of the complainant’s account. However, the complainant alleges that the outcome letter produced by the investigation in October 2025 significantly softened and reframed his account in a way that diminished its seriousness. The alleged victim described this shift as deeply distressing.
Further documentation seen by the Catholic Herald contains an extensive description of what he believes was a sustained failure to accurately record, report, and pursue his complaint once it moved beyond the initial investigation.
The alleged victim said that when he first reported the matter to the British Jesuits in July, he was “initially satisfied with the Jesuit response and pastoral care”, and was told that “the investigation had substantiated my allegation”, that the priest concerned had “‘confirmed’ my account”, and, according to the alleged victim, that he had been recognised as “a victim of abuse”.
The most serious allegations of an attempted cover up relate to information shared with the Archdiocese of Birmingham. After submitting a Subject Access Request, the alleged victim said he discovered that a member of Jesuit safeguarding staff had told the diocesan safeguarding office that he had “withdrawn my complaint”. He added: “I have never stated any intention to withdraw my complaint, nor retracted any of the extensive oral and written testimony I provided”. He said he subsequently reported Fr Howard’s conduct to the police. He also maintained that there was no attempt by the Jesuits “to check up on my welfare”.
Email correspondence seen by the Catholic Herald between the alleged victim and senior figures within the Jesuits in Britain sets out how the case was reported to trustees and to the Charity Commission, and the limits placed on what information could be shared with the complainant. The emails show repeated requests by the alleged victim for reassurance that the seriousness of his allegations had been accurately and fully conveyed, alongside refusals by Jesuit officials to disclose the substance of internal reports.
The Catholic Herald approached the Jesuits in Britain for comment. They said they would not comment at this time.
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