Federal employees sue Trump administration over forced religion in the workplace, violations of church-state separation

SAN FRANCISCO, CA – In response to the Trump administration’s excessive Christian Nationalism imposed on all Americans and on federal workers specifically, a group of federal employees and a union representing federal employees filed a new lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Agriculture for violating the separation of church and state and the religious freedom promised in our Constitution.

The lawsuit was filed by Americans United for Separation of Church and State, Democracy Forward, and Bryan Schwartz Law on behalf of seven federal workers and the National Federation of Federal Employees (NFFE) that represents 110,000 federal employees, including thousands of USDA workers. The lawsuit argues that Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins exploited her position by imposing her brand of Christianity on a captive audience of 100,000 USDA employees, the latest escalation being a sermonizing Easter email to workers proclaiming “our faith” that “Jesus has been raised from the dead.”

“The Trump administration is waging a relentless and increasingly brazen crusade against church-state separation and the religious freedom of federal workers,” said Rachel Laser, president and CEO of Americans United. “Trump is not Jesus, federal agencies are not churches, and cabinet secretaries are not government preachers. Secretary Rollins’ Easter message is a particularly egregious example of Trump administration officials abusing the power of public office to impose their beliefs on others and promote one narrow view of Christianity. And it’s only the tip of the iceberg. Across the federal government, this administration has misused taxpayer resources to preach, hold government-sponsored prayer services during work time, and broadcast Christian Nationalism on official social media channels. Not on our watch.”

“The government is not permitted to force religion on people in this country – it is antithetical to core national principles and a direct assault on our democracy,” said Skye Perryman, President and CEO of Democracy Forward. “Christian nationalism is a divisive perversion of faith that is about who gets to properly belong in the country and who doesn’t. It is an attempt at fusing religious identity with a partisan political identity – that you’re either in or you’re out, you’re with us, or you’re not. That is not the America we deserve, and it is not the democracy our Constitution protects, and it is a perversion of the teachings of Christianity. We are honored to fight on behalf of the non-partisan civil service, who should not be proselytized to in their workplace.”

The new lawsuit, National Federation of Federal Employees v. USDA, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, argues that Rollins is creating a preferred “in-group” religion at the USDA. Rollins’ Easter message proclaims all employees share her beliefs with phrases including “we celebrate,” “the greatest story ever told,” “our faith,” “the abiding hope of all mankind,” alongside explicitly religious language like “the foot of the Cross on Good Friday,” “Jesus has been raised from the dead,” “‘Hell took a body, and discovered God,’” and “our risen Lord.” (The email in its entirety can be viewed here.) Rollins is establishing a religion with the USDA, a clear violation of the First Amendment. The lawsuit also argues that Rollins’s proselytizing violates the Administrative Procedure Act.

“We work for the federal government, not a church. I just want to go to work and make my country better — I shouldn’t have to suffer through sermons and other religious messages forced upon me by the head of a federal agency,” said Ethan Roberts, a USDA employee in the Agricultural Research Service. “When the Secretary sends an email, I have to read it. And when those emails are telling me what to believe, they make me feel unwelcome in an agency I’ve dedicated ten years to.”

“We’re hearing from our fellow employees across the government. Every agency feels like it’s the epicenter for a new outbreak of Christian Nationalism. We just want to do our jobs without having to fend off proselytizing and preaching. That’s a basic American freedom, not something we should have to go to court to secure,” said Randy Erwin, NFFE National President.

Bryan Schwartz Law is bringing the lawsuit with Americans United and Democracy Forward. “We have represented federal employees and whistleblowers for decades, and I am continually impressed with their courage in stepping forward to confront wrongdoing, like this,” said Bryan Schwartz. “Government workers know that it is just plain wrong when public officials force personal religious choices down their throats. We need these USDA workers protecting our agriculture, our food supply, and other important jobs – and religious freedom means they don’t have to listen to a church sermon from their boss to keep serving all Americans,” Schwartz added.

Media contacts:
Americans United: [email protected]
Democracy Forward: [email protected]
Bryan Schwartz Law: [email protected]

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Founded in 1947, Americans United for Separation of Church and State is a religious freedom advocacy organization that educates Americans about the importance of church-state separation in safeguarding religious freedom.

Democracy Forward Foundation is a national legal organization that advances democracy and social progress through litigation, policy, public education, and regulatory engagement. For more information, please visit www.democracyforward.org.

Attorney Bryan Schwartz opened Bryan Schwartz Law (www.bryanschwartzlaw.com) in January 2009, dedicated to continuing the struggle for civil rights and equality of employment opportunity, and helping Americans from every background to achieve their highest career potential. The firm focuses on individual, class, and collective actions involving discrimination and retaliation, harassment, denied disability accommodations, whistleblower reprisal, wage and hour violations, federal employees’ rights, and severance negotiations.