Federal employees sue USDA over Trump official’s religious holiday emails

Federal employees are suing the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Secretary Brooke Rollins, accusing the Trump official of “Christian propaganda” after he sent emails containing religious messages over Christmas and Easter.

The complaint, brought by the National Federation of Federal Employees and seven USDA employees, accuses Rollins of “sending increasingly proselytizing communications to the entire USDA workforce, promoting his preferred brand of Christian beliefs and theology to his captive audience of employees” since he took the helm of the government agency in February 2025.

Inside complaintPlaintiffs say Rollins sent Christian-language emails to all USDA employees on national and religious holidays, especially Easter.

The Easter message sent by Rollins reportedly said in part: “Happy Easter – He is truly Risen! Today we celebrate the greatest story ever told, the foundation of our faith and the enduring hope of all humanity.” The same email also included a drawing of an empty tomb with the words “Christ is Risen,” according to the complaint.

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The complaint alleges that the email was part of a larger pattern of religious messages sent on other holidays, starting with an email on July 4 that included the line “May God continue to bless the United States of America and may His grace shine upon all its lands.”

Rollins also sent a video message before Christmas referring to Jesus as “Our Savior,” according to the complaint.

The plaintiffs, who include employees from a variety of faith backgrounds as well as non-religious employees, say the emails amounted to “coercion, religious preaching and sectarian preference” that left them feeling “excluded and unwelcome” in the workplace.

Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins and Texas Governor Greg Abbott address the New World screwworm threat in Texas during a news conference at the Texas State Capitol. (Brandon Bell/Getty Images)

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“Despite fear of retaliation, Plaintiffs across the agency join this action to assert their constitutional right to be free from government imposition of religion and to prevent the Secretary from further pressuring and intimidating them and other USDA employees who are afraid to come forward,” the complaint states.

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Plaintiffs argue that the emails constitute an ongoing practice and policy that violates the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment and the Administrative Procedure Act. They ask the court to declare these “proselytizing religious communications” illegal and to stop Rollins or other USDA officials from sending similar messages.

The complaint was filed May 13 in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. Americans United for Separation of Church and State, Democracy Forward and Bryan Schwartz Law, PC are representing the union and USDA workers in the complaint, which names Rollins and the USDA as defendants.

The sun shines on the sign marking the headquarters of the U.S. Department of Agriculture in Washington, D.C., on April 18, 2024. (J. David Ake/Getty Images)

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When reached for comment, a USDA spokesperson told Fox News Digital: “While we do not comment on pending litigation, we will keep the plaintiffs in our prayers during this process.”

Minister Rollins responded to the lawsuit as follows: sharing on x“This is another opportunity to remind everyone: He is Risen.”