Massachusetts Health and Human Services (HHS) and Department of Children and Families (DCF) will now refrain from making inappropriate religious references in their correspondence.
An HHS employee forwarded FFRF an official letter from a DCF employee which included the phrase “may God richly bless you.” FFRF Staff Attorney Stephanie Schmitt noted that “the United States Supreme Court has held that public officials may not seek to advance or promote religion” in her Jan. 25 letter to HHS Chief of Staff Stacey Monahan.
Monahan replied after FFRF sent a March 19 follow-up letter. She said the departments “regret any offense engendered,” and affirmed that they would “caution employees generally regarding inappropriate religious references in communications made in their official capacities.”
