USDA Issues Comprehensive Guidance to Protect Religious Expression in Federal Workplace

USDA Reinforces Religious Freedom for Federal Employees

Washington, D.C. – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today, November 20, 2025, announced new guidance designed to safeguard religious expression and accommodation rights for its federal workforce. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins stated that the initiative underscores the USDA's commitment to protecting faith and religious expression, ensuring employees can practice their beliefs without fear of retaliation while maintaining a respectful and effective workplace.

This guidance is a direct alignment with President Trump's Executive Order 14291, titled 'Establishment of the Religious Liberty Commission,' which mandates federal agencies to vigorously enforce protections for religious expression under federal law. Secretary Rollins highlighted that this move defends 'the very foundation of American liberty' and thanked President Trump for his 'bold leadership in restoring America's constitutional heritage of religious liberty across the public sphere and the federal government.'

Key Provisions and Employee Rights

The USDA's updated guidance clarifies and expands upon the rights of federal employees regarding religious expression and accommodation. While specific details of the USDA's document were not immediately available, it is expected to reflect principles established in broader federal guidance, such as that issued by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) on July 28, 2025.

These protections generally include:

• The right to display and use items for religious purposes or religious icons, such as Bibles, religious jewelry, or other symbols, in personal workspaces.
• Engaging in private religious expression during non-duty hours, including individual or group prayer.
• Participating in conversations about religious topics with colleagues, including attempting to persuade others of one's religious views, provided such discussions are not harassing and cease if unwelcome.
• Seeking reasonable accommodations for religious practices, such as adjustments to work schedules for Sabbath observance or religious holidays, or modifications to dress codes for religious garments.

Agencies are directed to allow personal religious expression to the greatest extent possible, unless it imposes an 'undue hardship' on business operations. Importantly, a co-worker's dislike of religious expression does not constitute an 'undue hardship.'

Context and Legal Foundation

The USDA's guidance is part of a broader administrative effort to strengthen religious freedom protections within the federal government. This effort builds upon previous executive orders, including Executive Order 13798 from 2017, 'Promoting Free Speech and Religious Liberty,' and the earlier Executive Order 'Eradicating Anti-Christian Bias.'

The legal framework for these protections is rooted in the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination based on religion and requires reasonable accommodation of religious practices. Recent Supreme Court decisions, such as Kennedy v. Bremerton School District (2022) and Groff v. Dejoy (2023), have further clarified and reinforced the scope of religious liberty in the workplace, influencing these federal directives.

Secretary Rollins also noted that under her leadership, the USDA has rescinded a previous administration's policy that sought to redefine 'sex' in federally funded food and nutrition service programs and has initiated an internal review to align guidance with the constitutional understanding of religious liberty.