"There is no wrongdoing on my part whatsoever," Howson told VirtueOnline.

Fleming told VirtueOnline that the facts leading to Howson's being thrown out of the priesthood began when the orthodox priest brought to the attention of the diocese his legitimate concerns that a priest in his chain of command, the Very Rev. Jerry True, a Dean, was sexually harassing him. "Howson brought this to the attention of the diocese on a number of occasions and finally when Garrison made it clear that he would not take any action to protect him retained my law firm to formally complain to the bishop and from there things turned extremely ugly for Fr. Howson. He was accused of keeping monies he had collected for the shipping of computers collected for African kids, of keeping toys that were sent to Tanzania at Christmas and accused of making lewd comments to women. He was never accused in person by anyone prior to his complaints to Garrison via my law firm and then after he had transferred to the protection of the bishop of Dar es Salaam he was inhibited by the bishop of Western New York."

"It is our view that there was no jurisdiction to bring this defrocking action against him. His letters of orders are held by the bishops of Dar Es Salaam and San Joaquin and so we never entered Garrison's ecclesiastical court to respond to the motions and complaints, which led to his being deposed, but the allegations were denied in writing."

Fleming said that what the bishop is doing now is nothing more than part of an ongoing retaliation. "The allegations of stealing money are outrageous in my mind and I intend to prove it in a court of law. It also appears that Garrison has made every effort and taken steps to try and prevent Howson from gaining any employment whatsoever in the religious realm including taking action overseas and even in California."

"But I intend to rectify that in court. Howson will have his day and the bishop will be put under oath and confronted with his past actions. I expect my client to be exonerated and win money damages. This is really hurting this poor young man."

Fr. Howson once served as rector of St. James' Episcopal Church in Batavia, New York. He was inhibited by Garrison on October 19, 2004, and subsequently left the Batavia area. When Howson took over the parish of St. James in September 2003 there were numerous social problems between the senior warden and the then female priest, Carol Grant-White. She resigned. At Howson's first mass there were 31 people; by the time he was forced out over 200 attended the church.

In March of 2005, Garrison forwarded a list of written charges against Howson to the Diocesan Review Committee, which then asked the church attorney to conduct an investigation. Based on the findings of that investigation, the Review Committee issued a presentment against Howson charging him with seven counts of immorality involving financial matters and misrepresentations, and one count of conduct unbecoming a member of the clergy.

Howson denies the charges and points out that on October 15, 2004, he transferred his Canonical Residence back to his ordaining bishop of Dar es Salaam, the Rt. Rev. Valentine Mokiwa.

As Howson tells it, Dean True, a homosexual, touched him inappropriately, continually made lewd remarks about his hands and feet and simply would not listen when he told him repeatedly to leave him alone. "One of my male parishioners also complained that he was touched inappropriately by Jerry True in a hospital waiting room, and Garrison claimed that it '"must have been a misunderstanding'". I have that man's statement and it is further evidence that Michael Garrison would stop at nothing to protect Jerry True.

"When my attorney contacted Garrison, the bishop set about trumping up a list of charges against me. One in the supposed list of inhibition was that I had set up a non-smoking zone on the church campus without consultation of the vestry. He was obviously grasping at straws and this charge was not carried forward. What has happened since has been a total attack on me and my ministry with lies which have gone as far as being reported as truth and fact in newspapers, seen around the world."

On April 20, 2007 in a unanimous decision, the Ecclesiastical Court, consisting of three priests and two laypersons elected by diocesan convention, sustained all the counts of the presentment. At the sentencing on July 2, the court unanimously voted to depose Howson. Garrison's action on August 10 finalized the deposition.

In a lawsuit filed under the Human Rights Law of the State of New York by Fleming on behalf of Howson, the attorney is seeking money damages from the Episcopal Diocese of New York, St. James Episcopal Church and Bishop Garrison for "sexual harassment, retaliation, intentional infliction of emotional distress, libel per se and breach of contract."

One of the Diocesan charges is that Howson faked being a canon in the Diocese of Dar es Salaam, in order to damage the Episcopal Church. "I was collated and installed as an honorary Canon of St. Albans Cathedral in July 2004 by the Rt. Reverend Valentine Mokiwa. The bishop was honoring me for my efforts in raising funds and awareness for a school that we were building in Dar Es Salaam. It was one of my passions" Howson said. He added, "I was informed by my African bishop that he had been receiving an abundance of letters from Lawyers in New York which he perceived as intimidating. The bishop's bankers in Dar Es Salaam had also apparently been contacted. "All money, toys, goods and other offerings are fully accounted for by the bishop and I have those assurances in safe keeping. It appears to me that Garrison has tried to "scare off" my support among the orthodox, but it simply hasn't worked."

After leaving the Diocese of Western New York and returning to the protection of Dar Es Salaam, Howson was licensed in the Diocese of San Joaquin. He is presently working for the Department of Missions and acting as a supply priest in the Diocese. He also enjoys a license as a priest in the diocese of Springfield IL.

Canon Bill Gandenberger, canon to the Ordinary, speaking on behalf of the bishop of San Joaquin, John-David Schofield, this weekend said, "After performing our own investigations Bishop Schofield is convinced that Fr. Simon Howson deserved to be licensed here. After doing so Simon has been serving as a supply priest to a growing number of congregations and assisting the Dept. of Missions in a restructuring of that ministry.

"Fr. Simon has been a blessing to many and of particular usefulness in his ability to proclaim the gospel clearly and enthusiastically to parishes and missions. We are impressed both with his heart for the kingdom and his humility in the midst of a most trying time."

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