Full Breakdown
USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins Sued Over Proselytizing Agency Emails
5/14/2026, 6:32:43 AM
Alleged Constitutional Violations in Agency-Wide Messages
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is facing a lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California that accuses Secretary Brooke Rollins of using official agency emails to promote Christian doctrine. The complaint cites a Thanksgiving note crediting “gratitude towards a loving God,” a Christmas message stating “God gave us the greatest gift possible, the gift of his Son and our Savior Jesus Christ,” and an Easter email declaring “Today we celebrate the greatest story ever told, the foundation of our faith, and the abiding hope of all mankind.” Plaintiffs argue the communications constitute government-sponsored religious coercion prohibited by the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment and violate the Administrative Procedure Act.
Background: Prior Guidance and Earlier Communications
When Rollins took office in 2025, she sent a July 4 email that referenced “May God continue to protect the United States of America.” A USDA memo issued in November 2025 clarified that employees may express personal faith but officials “cannot use official authority to pressure subordinates.” Plaintiffs contend that Rollins’ later holiday messages crossed that line and that she never acknowledged non-Christian holidays.
Key Figures and Organizations
- Brooke Rollins – Secretary of Agriculture, former head of the America First Policy Institute.
- National Federation of Federal Employees (NFFE) – Union representing over 19,000 USDA workers and co-plaintiff.
- Ethan Roberts – USDA Agricultural Research Service employee and plaintiff.
- Jennifer Wolfe – USDA employee and plaintiff.
- Lanette Dietrich – USDA employee who requested removal from the email list.
- Americans United for Separation of Church and State, Democracy Forward, and Bryan Schwartz Law – Legal teams representing the plaintiffs.
- Rachel Laser, President and CEO of Americans United, and Skye Perryman, President and CEO of Democracy Forward, provided public commentary.
Data & Statistics
- USDA employs roughly 100,000 workers nationwide.
- The NFFE union covers over 19,000 USDA employees.
- The lawsuit lists seven USDA employees as direct plaintiffs, joined by the union.
- The complaint references three holiday emails (Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter) as evidence of proselytizing.
Official Statements & Agency Response
A USDA spokesperson, Michael Abboud, said, “While we do not comment on pending litigation, we will keep the plaintiffs in our prayers during this process.” Plaintiffs’ attorneys emphasized that the emails “induce a perception that USDA staff must share the Secretary’s faith to advance.” The Trump administration’s 2025 executive order establishing a task force to eliminate “anti-Christian policies” was cited as part of a broader governmental context.
Criticism & Opposition
Plaintiffs describe feeling “unwelcome” and fearing retaliation for refusing to engage with the religious content. Ethan Roberts stated, “We work for the federal government, not a church… I shouldn’t have to suffer through sermons forced upon me by the head of a federal agency.” Jennifer Wolfe reported pressure “to pretend that she is Christian if she wants to advance in her career at USDA.” Democracy Forward’s Skye Perryman warned, “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.”
Verbatim Quotes
- “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,” — Ethan Roberts, USDA employee
- “to pretend that she is Christian if she wants to advance in her career at USDA.” — Jennifer Wolfe, USDA employee
- “ Another plaintiff, Lanette Dietrich, who asked to be removed from the USDA email distribution list due to the religious language, was told her request was “not possible,” and that elevating the request to a higher USDA office would “create trouble” for her.” — Lanette Dietrich, USDA employee
- “Today we celebrate the greatest story ever told, the foundation of our faith, and the abiding hope of all mankind.” — Brooke Rollins, Easter email
- “The government is not permitted to force religion on people in this country,” — Skye Perryman, Democracy Forward
Why It Matters
The case tests the boundary between protected personal religious expression and prohibited government endorsement of a particular faith. A ruling against the USDA could require agencies nationwide to revise internal communications policies, reinforce separation-of-church-and-state jurisprudence, and affect employee morale and retention.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
The lawsuit alleges that Rollins never acknowledged non-Christian holidays, yet the USDA has offered no public data on any such acknowledgments or alternative holiday communications. No official USDA rebuttal of the substantive allegations has been released beyond the generic prayer statement.
What’s Next
The complaint, filed May 13 2026 (National Federation of Federal Employees v. USDA, No. 26-04406), seeks an injunction barring further religious messaging and a declaration that the emails violate the Constitution. Preliminary hearings are slated for later in 2026, after which the court will decide whether to issue a temporary restraining order pending trial. The agency’s ongoing relocation of staff away from Washington, D.C., proceeds amid the litigation.
