Watchdog Sues Defense and Labor Departments Over Records on Monthly Prayer Services
Americans United for Separation of Church and State has filed two Freedom of Information Act lawsuits against the Defense and Labor departments, alleging they unlawfully failed to respond within 20 days to Dec. 19 requests for records about newly instituted monthly prayer services. The suits seek documents on planning, costs, invited speakers and any employee complaints, which the group says are needed to determine whether the agencies are remaining neutral on religion and respecting federal workers’ religious freedom under the Establishment Clause. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth began hosting Pentagon prayer services last May, featuring figures such as pastor Doug Wilson and evangelist Franklin Graham, while Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-Deremer launched similar events in December after attending one at Defense. Some Labor staff told the outlet the first service was narrowly “Judeo‑Christian” and included a rabbi’s remarks they viewed as hostile to LGBTQ people, allegations he denies. The lawsuits mark a new legal front against the Trump administration’s broader push to embed public Christian worship and faith‑branding inside federal agencies through executive orders creating a White House Faith Office, agency faith centers and a Religious Liberty Commission.
📌 Key Facts
- Americans United filed two FOIA lawsuits on March 23, 2026, targeting the Defense and Labor departments over non‑responses to Dec. 19, 2025 records requests.
- The FOIA requests sought information on planning, costs, speakers and employee complaints related to monthly prayer services hosted by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-Dermer.
- Defense began monthly prayer services in May 2025; Labor followed in December 2025 after Chavez-Dermer attended a Pentagon event, and both series have featured explicitly conservative Christian speakers.
- The litigation is framed against a backdrop of Trump executive orders to “eradicate anti‑Christian bias,” establish a White House Faith Office and create faith centers in agencies, raising fresh Establishment Clause questions.
📊 Relevant Data
Approximately 70% of active-duty U.S. military personnel identify as Christian, including about 20% Catholic and about half Protestant or other Christian denominations, while 2% identify as Atheist or Agnostic, 1% as Jewish, 1% as Muslim, 1% as Hindu, and 1% as Buddhist, with the remaining identifying as other or no preference.
The U.S. military takes pride in its religious diversity. Could things change if Hegseth takes over? — PBS
In the U.S. workforce overall, 65% of employees identify as Christian, while 26% do not identify with any religion, based on 2024 data.
Diversity Statistics in the Workplace 2026 — ThinkImpact.com
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Engel v. Vitale (1962) that state-sponsored prayer in public schools violates the Establishment Clause, even if voluntary and nondenominational.
In Town of Greece v. Galloway (2014), the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the practice of opening legislative sessions with prayer, ruling that it does not violate the Establishment Clause if it is part of a historical tradition and not coercive.
Town of Greece v. Galloway (2014) — The National Constitution Center
According to a 2025 Pew Research Center survey, 52% of U.S. adults support allowing public school teachers to lead classes in prayers that refer to Jesus, while 47% oppose it.
More than 50% of U.S. adults support Christian prayer in public schools — EWTN News
The median age of Christians in the U.S. has risen to 54 in 2024 from 49 in 2014 and 46 in 2007, indicating an aging Christian population amid overall declines in affiliation.
US religious groups' age, education, income, race & gender profiles — Pew Research Center
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