Investigation of Researcher David Pooler Finds Credible Allegations of Verbal Sexual Misconduct and Professional Boundary Violations
On Monday, July 20, 2026, an independent investigation found allegations of verbal sexual misconduct and professional boundary violations by David Pooler, Ph.D, to be credible.
In December 2025, Awake shared the news with our community that Pooler, a researcher we occasionally interviewed about adult sexual abuse by faith leaders, was under investigation for alleged misconduct. The investigation was initiated by Restored Voices Collective (RVC), a community for survivors of adult clergy sexual abuse in Christian environments, after several survivors involved with RVC alleged that he engaged in misconduct and abuse with them. RVC engaged Godly Response to Abuse in the Christian Environment (GRACE) in September 2025 to conduct an independent investigation and analysis.
The investigation yielded a thirty-page final report that evaluated the allegations of verbal or virtual sexual misconduct, emotional misconduct, and professional boundary violations. The report offers this summary of their findings:
“The information provided to GRACE indicates that the allegations of verbal or virtual sexual misconduct against David Pooler are credible. 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. While several witnesses reported appropriate boundaries in their professional interactions with Dr. Pooler, these accounts do not overcome the corroborated reports of explicit, sexual, and suggestive language used in other contexts.
Despite his position as a trusted mentor, allegations that Pooler engaged in explicit sexual language and indecent communications are credible. Under the established definition, these acts were fundamentally “unwelcome,” as demonstrated by verbal patterns that mirrored those of an abuser known to Pooler. Finally, it is noted that reporting individuals do not have an apparent motive to fabricate, and credibly articulate affection and gratitude toward Pooler prior to the reported misconduct. Reflecting this sentiment, one individual who reported a harmful experience stated, ‘We so appreciated and revered him. This is so hard.’
GRACE also determines that allegations of professional boundary violations against Dr. David Pooler are credible. While not every reported concern or individual interaction necessarily presents a conclusive violation in isolation, a broader, concerning pattern of boundary-blurring behavior clearly emerges. This pattern was credibly, consistently, and insightfully expressed by multiple independent survivors of adult clergy sexual abuse across various settings.”
— GRACE Report, Page 19
Pooler spoke at Awake’s 2021 Courageous Conversation about abuse of adults, and we had quoted him in multiple posts on the Awake blog. While the investigation was ongoing, we removed this content from our website; based on the findings of the GRACE investigation, we have now permanently removed the content.