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Polls close from 6 p.m. to 1 a.m. Eastern on Nov. 3; close races may take days U.S. to grant visas to Flávio Bolsonaro and family after Brazil election loss Federal workers ask judge to block USDA Secretary Rollins' religious mass emails Judge disqualifies Trump-appointed prosecutor Bill Essayli from cases over overstay Senate control may take days or weeks to settle as tight races and a Georgia runoff loom Senate Republicans privately see Ohio slipping and Alaska, Kansas grim six days out Trump EPA moves to ease methane leak rules for oil wells a week before the midterms Judge rejects new obstruction charge against two ex-FBI officials, rebukes DOJ On tape: Van Hollen asks Kash Patel if he knows lying to Congress is a crime. Patel won't say yes. On tape: Abdul El-Sayed on ICE: "I don't think it can be reformed. We have to abolish it and start from scratch." Polls close from 6 p.m. to 1 a.m. Eastern on Nov. 3; close races may take days U.S. to grant visas to Flávio Bolsonaro and family after Brazil election loss Federal workers ask judge to block USDA Secretary Rollins' religious mass emails Judge disqualifies Trump-appointed prosecutor Bill Essayli from cases over overstay Senate control may take days or weeks to settle as tight races and a Georgia runoff loom Senate Republicans privately see Ohio slipping and Alaska, Kansas grim six days out Trump EPA moves to ease methane leak rules for oil wells a week before the midterms Judge rejects new obstruction charge against two ex-FBI officials, rebukes DOJ On tape: Van Hollen asks Kash Patel if he knows lying to Congress is a crime. Patel won't say yes. On tape: Abdul El-Sayed on ICE: "I don't think it can be reformed. We have to abolish it and start from scratch."

Rights & Freedoms · Report · File No. 261028-383

Federal workers ask judge to block USDA Secretary Rollins' religious mass emails

USDA employees told a federal judge Tuesday that Secretary Brooke Rollins' Christian emails to the whole workforce violate the First Amendment. The Justice Department says the messages fit a long tradition of officials mentioning religion.

By the National Desk · · 2 min read

Every quote in this story (1) was matched word for word against its source. How we work

Brooke Rollins
Brooke Rollins. Photo: Andrea Hanks, The White House, Public domain

Federal employees asked a federal judge in San Francisco on Tuesday to stop Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins from sending religious messages from her official government email account. They say the emails pressured them to conform to her religious beliefs and made them feel unwelcome 1.

The seven named plaintiffs describe themselves as "a group of multifaith and nonreligious USDA employees." They say Rollins sent "increasingly proselytizing communications" to the entire U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) workforce 1. The National Federation of Federal Employees, a union that represents about 100,000 federal workers, including roughly 90,000 USDA employees, is also a plaintiff 1.

What the emails said

The employees point to a 2026 Easter Sunday email as the high point. In it, Rollins called Easter "the greatest story ever told" and compared her employees to "the very first disciples to encounter our risen Lord" 1. Employees also cite Memorial Day and Independence Day emails that quoted Bible passages 2.

The lawsuit was filed in May 2026, and the employees asked for a preliminary injunction on July 22. That is a court order that would apply while the case continues 2.

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Their lawyer, Amy Tai of Americans United for Separation of Church and State, said the messages come from the Office of the Secretary's account. That is the same account that sends policy decisions, shutdown notices and reorganization news, so employees have to read them 1.

Tai said one plaintiff tried to opt out of the emails. Her supervisor rebuffed her and told her that raising the concern could cause trouble 1.

The government's defense

Elisabeth Neylan, a Justice Department lawyer, argued the emails were not proselytizing. She said they fit the history of public officials mentioning religion in official messages, mixed religious and nonreligious references, and did not ask anyone to take part in a religious act 1.

U.S. District Judge Trina L. Thompson pressed Neylan on a USDA guidance memo from November 2025 about religious expression at work. It says such conversations "must stop if a colleague asks you to stop" and that officials "cannot use official authority to pressure subordinates" 1.

Thompson called the case "clearly in the gray." She did not say when she will rule 1.

What Democrats and allies say

Sarah Goetz, senior counsel at Democracy Forward, a legal group on the plaintiffs' team, said Rollins is "abusing her public position." Goetz also said the group would fight what she called Christian nationalism 1.

That matters because the First Amendment's Establishment Clause bars the government from favoring one religion. The question for the court is whether a Cabinet secretary writing to her own staff is speaking for herself or for the government. The plaintiffs say the answer is clear. The Justice Department disagrees, and no court has ruled yet 1.

Rollins was confirmed as agriculture secretary in February 2025. She often quotes the Bible on social media 1. Allegations in the lawsuit remain unproven until a judge rules.

The Record

  1. USDA issues guidance on religious expression at work, saying officials "cannot use official authority to pressure subordinates" 1.
  2. USDA employees and a federal workers union file suit over Rollins' emails 2.
  3. Plaintiffs file a motion for a preliminary injunction 23.
  4. Judge Trina Thompson hears arguments and does not say when she will rule 1.

Sources

  1. Courthouse News, “Federal workers ask judge to block ‘proselytizing’ emails from USDA secretary” (2026-10-28). courthousenews.com/federal-workers-ask-judge-to-block-prosel
  2. Baptist News Global, “USDA employees go to court again to stop secretary's proselytizing” (2026-07-24). baptistnews.com/article/usda-employees-go-to-court-again-to-
  3. Christian Post, “Employees sue USDA, Brooke Rollins over 'proselytizing' Christian-themed emails” (2026-05-13). assets.christianpost.com/news/employees-sue-usda-brooke-roll

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