Agriculture secretary’s religious Easter message to all employees sparks internal backlash and a formal complaint | CN

A “Christ is Risen” Easter message sent by the secretary of agriculture has sparked backlash inside the department, angering some of its nearly 100,000 employees and prompting a formal complaint against the secretary for the religious message. Employees at the department’s 4,500 offices across the country received an email From Secretary Brooke Rollins on Sunday: “Happy Easter — He is Risen indeed!” Rollins told all department staff it was a day to celebrate “the foundation of our faith.” “From the foot of the Cross on Good Friday to the stone rolled away from the now empty tomb, sin has been destroyed. Jesus has been raised from the dead. And God has granted each of us victory and new life,” the email read. The complaint, obtained by CNN, was filed with the Office of Special Counsel by Ethan Roberts, the president of a local union for federal employees who is also an employee at USDA. The OSC is an independent federal investigative agency that investigates whistleblower complaints from federal employees with claims of violations of laws, rules or regulations. In his complaint, Roberts said the email was a “pro-Christianity sermon” sent to all USDA employees

Apr 10, 2026 → Apr 10, 2026