Government Lawyer Reprimands Christian Employee for Quietly Keeping Bible on Desk – ACLJ Demands Justice

The ACLJ is committed to defending the constitutional rights – especially the foundational freedoms of religious expression and speech – of every American. One of our clients, a dedicated New York public defender with over five years of service, is now the target of discriminatory treatment by his government employer simply because of his Christian faith.

The situation is as troubling as it is unconstitutional. Our client AJ, a government attorney representing indigent individuals, has kept a Bible on the corner of his desk – not on a pedestal with a spotlight, but in a space that offers him personal comfort and spiritual strength. This simple act of private religious devotion has now drawn the ire of his supervisor, resulting in an official reprimand and accusations of professional misconduct.

AJ is also a lifelong resident of the county he now serves. He grew up in a rough neighborhood, yet persevered and went to law school, graduating and hoping to “make an impact” in his community.

The events began earlier this year when a fellow employee, acting on behalf of a supervisor, barged into our client’s office and loudly demanded the Bible be removed. AJ responded respectfully, requesting that any directive come in writing. That request, unfortunately, did not lead to a civil discussion. Instead, the supervisor stormed into his office, picked up the Bible, and demanded that it “needed to go,” citing vague concerns about clients seeing it – even though it was not placed in direct view of clients.

In an effort to comply and de-escalate the situation, AJ discreetly moved the Bible to a less visible location and offered to switch to a smaller print version. Still, the hostility continued. A week later, the supervisor returned, once again demanding that the Bible be entirely removed. Our client reiterated his willingness to accommodate reasonable concerns and formally requested a religious accommodation under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act.

Rather than honor this constitutionally protected right, the employer doubled down. On March 6, our client received a written warning citing vague “performance deficiencies” and claiming that his conduct had been “unduly disruptive.” The warning included a directive to “refrain from having any Bible or religious text open and visible” when meeting with clients or even fellow staff members – despite there being no actual disruption, client complaint, or violation of professional standards.

The Bible was not being preached from or imposed on anyone. It was simply there, quietly open, offering spiritual sustenance during the workday. That was enough, apparently, to provoke a discriminatory response from AJ’s employer.

Ironically – and tellingly – AJ has observed other items with religious themes freely displayed by staff within the office, in full view of clients and employees alike. Yet none of those have been subject to this kind of scrutiny. The targeting is selective. And that makes it unlawful.

Let’s be clear: The Constitution does not require the government to scrub all traces of religious expression from public workplaces. In fact, it forbids the very kind of discriminatory behavior that has occurred here. As the Supreme Court affirmed in Kennedy v. Bremerton School District, government employees do not surrender their rights to religious expression simply because they enter the workplace.

Private religious expression – even during working hours – is protected speech under the First Amendment. The notion that a Bible placed quietly on a desk constitutes some kind of coercive government endorsement of religion is not only absurd – it is legally indefensible. The Establishment Clause was never intended to be weaponized against people of faith.

Even more alarming is the suggestion from the supervisor that the only reason for having an open Bible was for AJ to study it on government time. This baseless and insulting assumption is as offensive as it is unconstitutional. It exemplifies the kind of hostility to religion that the Supreme Court has routinely and resoundingly rejected.

The ACLJ is standing firm in defense of our client’s rights. We issued a legal demand letter to AJ’s employer calling for an immediate reversal of the reprimand and confirmation that he is free to keep a Bible on his desk for personal use during his own time. We are also demanding the removal of the March 6 written reprimand from his personnel file.

This is not just about one Bible or one employee. This is about ensuring that every American – regardless of faith – can work without fear of discrimination or censorship. Our laws and our Constitution are clear: Religious liberty is not a privilege but a right. A right that we will continue to defend in every workplace and at every level of government.

We will not allow religious discrimination to go unchecked. And we will not stand down until our client receives the justice he deserves.

Stay tuned as we continue to fight for AJ’s rights – and yours.