The Freedom From Religion Foundation is insisting that the Department of Housing and Urban Development rescind an overtly religious communication sent to staff announcing an official observance of Easter and Passover.
A concerned HUD employee reports that on April 16, Secretary Scott Turner’s office sent an email to all staff announcing that the department would be closing early on Good Friday, April 18, “in recognition of” Easter and Passover. Furthermore, the email contained overtly religious messaging:
Early Release for Easter and Passover HUD Staff,
On behalf of Secretary Scott Turner, I’m excited to announce there will be a four-hour early release on Friday, April 18, 2025, in recognition of Easter and Passover this weekend.
Secretary Turner encourages our HUD workforce to reflect with family and friends as they break bread and celebrate the gift of freedom.
America’s founding fathers proclaimed that all men are endowed by their creator with the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness — this declaration rang true as the Jews fled Egypt and found freedom in the Holy Land, and it rang true once again when Jesus broke bread and drank wine with his disciples showing that sacrifice can truly change the world.
We go into this holy weekend with freedoms that the world has never known, and I hope that everyone at HUD takes a moment to recognize what a privilege it is to live in a country that puts her citizens first. . . .
Thank you for your service and God Bless, Andrew Hughes Chief of Staff
The email “has made staff extremely uncomfortable,” says FFRF’s complainant. Additionally, the staff member states that the email made them feel “less than,” as if they are “not valued as much because [they] choose not to participate in religion.”
It is inappropriate and unconstitutional for a government agency to close in observance of a Christian or Jewish holy day and use official communications channels to promote religion to employees. FFRF is asking HUD to reverse this decision and refrain from officially observing religious holidays going forward, since Easter and Passover are not federal holidays, and these holidays hold significance only for people who practice Christianity or Judaism.
“It is a basic constitutional principle that the government cannot show favoritism toward religion,” FFRF Staff Attorney Samantha Lawrence writes to Secretary Scott. “The First Amendment’s Establishment Clause requires that the government remain neutral between religions, and between religion and nonreligion.”
It is needlessly divisive for HUD to close its offices early to recognize holidays in specific religions, FFRF asserts. By closing early for Easter and Passover, and sending an overtly religious email to employees, HUD signals clear favoritism for religion over nonreligion, which is unconstitutional. By closing early, HUD also denies access to those who do not observe Good Friday, Easter or Passover and may need governmental assistance as they would on any other Friday, such as the nearly 30 percent of adult Americans who are religiously unaffiliated.
To avoid further Establishment Clause concerns and out of respect for the diversity of the nation, FFRF requests that HUD refrain from closing its doors “in recognition of” Easter, Passover or any other solely religious nonfederal holiday.
“Pandering to those of particular religious backgrounds excludes those of other religious persuasions — or of no persuasion,” says FFRF Co-President Annie Laurie Gaylor. “Further, this pious message, conflating American freedoms with religious traditions, is fatuous at best, particularly coming at a time when many Americans feel their federal government is putting the constitutional rights of many citizens last, not first.”
The Freedom From Religion Foundation is a national nonprofit organization with over 42,000 members across the country, including members in Washington, D.C. Our purposes are to protect the constitutional principle of separation between state and church, and to educate the public on matters relating to nontheism.
