In October 2013, Hayward won substantial damages in a successful libel case against the "Mail on Sunday" and the "Daily Mail", which had originally criticised what it claimed were Hayward’s Islamic views whilst Dean of the RAF College. The "Mail"’s apology of 13 October 2013 stated: "On 7 and 8 August 2011 we suggested that the beliefs of Dr Joel Hayward, then the Dean of the RAF College Cranwell, prevented him from fulfilling his duty of impartiality and fairness as a teacher in the RAF" and had caused him "to show undue favouritism to Islamic students and spend too much time on Islamic activities. We now accept that these allegations are untrue. We apologise to Dr Hayward and have paid a substantial sum to him in damages."