Seven federal employees sued Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins Tuesday, asking a judge to stop her from sending religious emails to the entire USDA workforce. The plaintiffs say Rollins used her official government account to send “proselytizing” messages they couldn’t avoid or opt out of, making them feel pressured to conform to her beliefs.
The case landed before U.S. District Judge Trina L. Thompson in San Francisco, where attorneys for the workers argued the secretary crossed a constitutional line by using federal resources to promote her faith to subordinates.
Secretary Used Official Channel for Religious Messages
“She is speaking on behalf of the federal government; she is using the federal government resources, the Office of the Secretary’s email; she is addressing it to all USDA employees,” said Amy Tai, attorney for Americans United for Separation of Church and State, which represents the plaintiffs. “Nothing about her speech says it’s a private expression.”
The distinction matters. Federal employees can practice their faith freely on their own time. But when a cabinet secretary uses official channels to send religious content to thousands of workers who report up to her, the plaintiffs argue she’s crossed into government endorsement of religion—a First Amendment violation.
Workers Describe Feeling Unwelcome, Pressured
The seven plaintiffs, described as “multifaith and nonreligious USDA employees,” say the emails made them feel unwelcome in their own workplace. When your boss sends religious messages from her government account, declining to engage isn’t a real option for most workers who care about their careers.
“We are not trying to limit her expression or practice of her faith,” Tai told the court. “We want to limit what she can and cannot do as secretary of agriculture in the workplace.”
The employees are asking for an injunction blocking Rollins from sending further religious communications through official USDA channels. The case tests how far cabinet officials can go in expressing personal beliefs when those expressions reach subordinates through the chain of command.
Judge Thompson has not yet ruled on the motion for a preliminary injunction. The case moves forward as federal workers navigate an administration that has made religious expression a flashpoint across multiple agencies.
Key Points
- Seven USDA employees sued Secretary Brooke Rollins for sending religious emails to the entire workforce from her official government account
- Plaintiffs argue the messages violated the First Amendment by using federal resources to promote religion and pressured workers to conform
- Attorneys say workers aren’t trying to limit Rollins’s personal faith, only her use of official channels to proselytize subordinates
https://www.courthousenews.com/federal-workers-ask-judge-to-block-proselytizing-emails-from-usda-secretary/ – October 28, 2026
