A group of federal workers and their union on Thursday requested that a federal court temporarily blocks it Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins has discouraged sending official communications that “proselytize, promote or favor a particular religion.” US Department of Agriculture (USDA) employees during their constitutional challenge.
The motion for a preliminary injunction was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California Part of one ongoing lawsuit brought by the National Association of Federal Employees (NFFE) and seven USDA employees. The plaintiffs allege that Rollins violated the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment by repeatedly using her official position to send explicitly Christian messages to approximately 100,000 USDA employees. They also argue that the communications violate the Administrative Procedure Act (APA).
According to the complaint, Rollins’ holiday messages became increasingly religious after she took office in February 2025. While earlier emails contained general references to God, the plaintiffs argue that later messages, particularly a Christmas 2025 email and an Easter 2026 message, promoted Christian beliefs rather than simply recognizing religious holidays.
At the heart of the lawsuit is an April 5 Easter email in which Rollins described Easter as “the greatest story ever told” and “the foundation of our faith,” declared that Jesus defeated sin and death, and encouraged employees to rejoice in the resurrection.
The plaintiffs contend that these notices crossed the constitutional line between recognition of a religious holiday and government endorsement of a religion. They argue that USDA employees represent a “captive audience” because official emails from the secretary contain important workplace announcements, leaving little practical option for employees to ignore them. They further alleged that the emails caused employees from different religious and non-religious backgrounds to feel excluded or pressured to hide their faith.
Additionally, the plaintiffs allege that by quoting Bible passages in company-wide emails, Rollins infused Christian theological frameworks into secular American holidays such as Memorial Day and Independence Day. She has remained defiant In light of the lawsuit, she said on her X account that it was “just another opportunity to remind everyone: He is risen.”
The captive audience argument resonates a lesson that the Supreme Court has filed an application Mainly outside the workplace, where the government is prohibited from forcing captive audiences to participate in or support religious practices. Federal workplace guidelines issued as part of the 1997 Clinton administration It was previously noted that the Establishment Clause prohibits the government, including its employees, from acting in a manner that would lead a reasonable observer to conclude that the government endorses or advocates a particular religion. The same policy also protects the personal religious expression of federal employees when exercising their right to free speech.
The lawsuit ultimately seeks a declaration that the conduct complained of violates the First Amendment and the APA, a permanent injunction preventing similar communications in the future, and attorneys’ fees and litigation costs.
