News Release
For Immediate Release: 8.12.26
Contact: John Manning, media@firstliberty.org
Direct: 972-941-4453
Forest Service Officer Granted Religious Accommodation Request to Observe Sabbath Obligations
The Department of Agriculture reversed previous denial and granted accommodation after letter from First Liberty.
Glenwood Springs, CO—Today, First Liberty Institute and the law firm Davis Graham & Stubbs LLP announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture has granted a religious accommodation to Forest Service employee Adam Diemert so he can fulfill his Sabbath obligations consistent with his faith.
“We are grateful for the leadership of Secretary Brooke Rollins, Deputy Secretary Stephen Vaden, and the rest of the leadership team at the Department of Agriculture, and for their protection of religious liberty for all Americans,” said Cliff Martin, Senior Counsel for First Liberty. “The Department’s decision is in line with the Supreme Court’s conclusion that reasonable adjustments to the work environment often must be made to allow an employee to practice his or her religion when there is no substantial disruption or cost to the organization.”
Adam Diemert, a United States Forest Service law enforcement officer in Glenwood Springs, Colorado, is a devout Presbyterian who attends church twice every Sunday. He works extended hours throughout the week providing law enforcement responses for a large area of National Forest. He submitted two religious accommodations as a Christian Sabbatarian requesting Sundays off and both were denied despite his expressed his willingness to respond to emergency situations on Sundays and work when needed. Mr. Diemert states that before he accepted the position, from 2020 to 2024, the position had been vacant, so no one worked Sundays. After he took the position, to observe his Sabbath he took approved personal leave-time on every Sunday from March 2024 for the next 10 months without incident. During the same time period, he voluntarily assisted on two Sundays when the need arose and continues to do so. His willingness to work Sundays out of necessity or in emergency conditions removed any “undue hardship” justifications for the denials.
Initially, the Forest Service insisted his request created an undue hardship. After the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Groff v DeJoy, the burden for an employer’s denial of a religious accommodation changed from a mere “de minimis” impact to a “substantial increased cost.” In this case, upon recognizing that no substantial cost would result from the accommodation, the Forest Service provided Mr. Diemert a position with no regular duties on Sundays.
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About First Liberty Institute
First Liberty Institute is a non-profit public interest law firm and the largest legal organization in the nation dedicated exclusively to defending religious freedom for all Americans.
To arrange an interview, contact John Manning at media@firstliberty.org or by calling 972-941-4453.
