After Hougland admitted to having a sexual relationship with a woman who was not a member of the Episcopal Church, he was placed on a one-year paid leave.
[8] In 2022, the diocese of Eastern and Western Michigan submitted a Memorial to the 80th General Convention of the Episcopal Church.
The report complained that "there was very little further investigation into whether there was only one offense" and that not enough time had been given "to determine if the matter should have been considered sexual misconduct due to the identity of the other party involved in the bishop's affair."
It also noted that "when our former bishop had an affair, the system not only took care of him, it did so in extremely expensive ways, to the financial and emotional cost of those who he had vowed to pastor.
The Episcopal Diocese of Ohio hired Hougland to serve as the transitional director of Bellwether Farm.