Op-Ed: The US Postal Service’s (Entirely Avoidable) Religious Liberty Fiasco

This piece was originally published in The American Spectator on February 1, 2023. 

The U.S. Postal Service (USPS) has been hauled into court plenty of times, having experienced its fair share of administrative and election law cases. But now, America’s mail carrier faces fundamental questions over religious tolerance at the post office.

USA Today Supreme Court correspondent John Fritze reports: “Gerald Groff, a former mail carrier in Pennsylvania, sued the U.S. Postal Service after it required him to work Sunday shifts delivering packages. Groff, who resigned in 2019, is a Christian and believes Sundays should be dedicated to worship, court records show.” The Supreme Court has chosen to take up the case, and the holding could expand employees’ rights to obtain religious accommodations.

Overlooked in reporting about the case are the dubious USPS business and hiring decisions that led to this legal fiasco. A better-staffed and less-overworked postal labor force would not require workers to choose between filling in and honoring their beliefs. The agency has a responsibility to honor constitutional rights while keeping the mail flowing. 

The full article can be found online here.