USDA Secretary Sued for Religious Coercion

A federal lawsuit has been filed against Brooke Rollins, the Secretary of Agriculture, and the United States — United States Department of Agriculture by the National Federation of Federal Employees and seven USDA employees. The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, accuses Rollins of violating the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment by sending proselytizing Christian messages to the entire USDA workforce. The complaint details several emails sent by Rollins for holidays like Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter, which allegedly promoted her Christian beliefs and theology. Plaintiffs claim these messages created a coercive and unwelcome environment for employees of various faiths and no faith, causing them to fear retaliation for not conforming to Rollins's religious views. The lawsuit seeks a court order to declare the messages illegal and prohibit further religious communications from Rollins and the department. Advocacy groups Americans United for Separation of Church and State and Democracy Forward, along with Bryan Schwartz Law, P.C., are representing the plaintiffs. The United States — United States Department of Agriculture has stated it does not comment on pending litigation but will keep the plaintiffs in their prayers.