In a sweeping internal call, the State Department has directed its global workforce to report any instances of anti-Christian bias dating back to January 2021. A cable sent to U.S. diplomatic missions asked for detailed examples of alleged religious discrimination, including incidents involving vaccine mandates, pronoun policies, and conflicts with diversity programming.

The reports will be reviewed by a newly formed government-wide task force, which may recommend disciplinary action if violations are confirmed. Staff can file reports anonymously, and the investigation will include both employee and public-facing complaints. The goal, according to the cable, is to uncover instances where people were punished, harassed, or excluded for religious reasons—or for defending others' religious rights.

The cable outlines a broad range of potential violations. These include formal or informal actions taken against employees who requested religious accommodation from vaccine requirements or who refused to participate in activities they viewed as contrary to their faith—such as events promoting gender identity policies or LGBTQ+ themes.

Other examples involve employees being forced to remove personal religious items from their desks, being disciplined for objecting to official media content, or challenging displays of flags and banners on government property due to faith-based objections.

The task force is also seeking information about religious bias in security clearance decisions and hiring or promotion practices. According to the cable, reports can cover any actions that occurred between January 2021 and January 2025.
The call for reports comes amid broader uncertainty at the State Department. An update on the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE)—an initiative backed by Elon Musk and tasked with streamlining the federal workforce—is due to be presented to the White House. The report includes projections on retirements, staff cuts, and restructuring, sparking concern among career diplomats.

Some staffers speculated that Secretary of State Marco Rubio might have resisted signing the reorganization plan, though officials denied that. They emphasized that the White House update would not be the final say on restructuring and layoffs.

At the same time, the internal climate has been stirred by the recent promotion of Lew Olowski, a junior foreign service officer, to lead the Bureau of Global Talent Management. His appointment has broken with precedent, as the role has traditionally gone to senior or retired career diplomats.

Olowski’s first address to a new class of diplomats included strong religious themes, quoting both the Bible and Abraham Lincoln. “Oaths are covenants. Animals do not covenant. Only God and man can make covenants,” he told the group. He compared the Constitution to a sacred text, saying, “Its words are like the word of God,” and closed with the Gospel of John: “In the beginning was the Word…”

His religious tone has unsettled some staffers, especially given that reports of religious discrimination will be directed to his wife, Heather Olowski, who heads the State Department’s Office of Civil Rights. While not against policy, the setup has raised concerns over impartiality in handling faith-related complaints.

Professional bodies such as the American Foreign Service Association and the American Academy of Diplomacy have also pushed back, calling Olowski’s appointment an affront to longstanding norms. His past writings—many with pro-Trump and anti-immigration stances—have circulated widely among staff chat groups, adding to the tension.