July 24, 2026 - San Francisco – A group of federal employees and a union representing federal workers – already in court challenging U.S. 
Department of Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins’ violations of their religious freedom and the separation of church and state – have urged the court to issue a preliminary injunction to stop Rollins from continuing to proselytize 100,000 USDA employees through email.
Despite the ongoing lawsuit against her practice of proselytizing employees, Rollins has continued sending agency-wide emails infused with her personal religious beliefs, most recently on Memorial Day and Independence Day. Using American holidays to quote Bible passages is textbook Christian Nationalism. Rollins’ proselytizing emails paired with her defiant social media post that the employees’ lawsuit is “just another opportunity to remind everyone: He is Risen” signal she will not stop exploiting her government position to impose her brand of Christianity on a captive audience of federal workers unless the court intervenes. USDA employees are asking the court to issue an order stopping the secretary’s religious messages in time for the next major Christian holiday – Christmas.
The lawsuit, National Federation of Federal Employees v. USDA, was filed in May by Americans United for Separation of Church and State, Democracy Forward, and Bryan Schwartz Law on behalf of six federal workers and the National Federation of Federal Employees (NFFE) union that represents 110,000 federal employees, including thousands of USDA workers.
“Not only is Secretary Rollins emailing employees sermons to mark Christian holidays, but now she’s infusing her version of Christianity into emails about secular holidays meant to honor our nation’s independence and Americans who died in service to our country,” said plaintiff Ashley Miller (they/them). “There’s no escape from her proselytizing – I’m required to read agency emails as part of my job. But now I worry any work email I open from the Office of the Secretary might contain more preaching, which makes me feel unwelcome at the agency I’ve served for nearly a decade.”
“Proselytizing from public office is antithetical to core national principles of religious liberty, and the Trump-Vance administration’s bias toward Christian nationalists is a grave threat to our democracy,” said Skye Perryman (she/her), president and CEO of Democracy Forward. “Democracy Forward is honored to be part of the coalition fighting on behalf of the non-partisan civil service in this case, and to work toward a democracy that is safe from this callous perversion of the teachings of Christianity.”
“We urge the court to protect federal workers’ religious freedom and stop Secretary Rollins from abusing the power of her public office to impose her beliefs on others,” said Rachel Laser (she/her), president and CEO of Americans United. “Across the federal government, the Trump administration has misused taxpayer resources to preach, hold government-sponsored prayer services during work time, and broadcast Christian Nationalism over official communications channels. Not on our watch.”
“Government employees report to work to address issues of concern to all Americans – like USDA handles important issues of food safety and forestry management – and cannot be subjected to religious speeches as a condition of doing their jobs,” said Bryan Schwartz (he/him), one of the lead attorneys prosecuting the suit.
In addition to seeking a preliminary injunction, the plaintiffs are asking the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California to grant a stay under the Administrative Procedure Act to preliminarily set aside Rollins’ policy of issuing proselytizing messages to USDA employees.
The lawsuit argues that Rollins is creating a preferred “in-group” religion at the USDA. Rollins’ Easter message proclaimed 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.” Rollins is establishing a religious preference within the USDA, a clear violation of the First Amendment.
Read the filing here.
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.
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.
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.
Source: Democracy Forward Foundation
