Veterans Chaplain Censored for Biblical Sermon, Asks New VA Secretary to Intervene

A U.S. Army Reserve chaplain is asking for the newly appointed Secretary of Veterans Affairs under the Trump administration to revoke the censorship of sermons–a policy adopted by the V.A.– after the chaplain shared a text from Romans 1, where the Apostle Paul addresses homosexuality. 

Rusty Trubey, a veteran chaplain at the Coatesville V.A. Medical Center, came under fire after he "felt that God was leading him to preach a two-part sermon series on the first chapter of Romans."

Trubey preached the second installment of the series, entitled "When a Culture Excludes God," in June and read Romans 1:23–32.

"In Romans 1, the Bible describes behaviors that cultures engage in and celebrate when they exclude God from their lives. One of those behaviors the Bible describes is homosexual behavior," explains a letter from First Liberty Institute, a non-profit legal group representing Trubey. 

After Trubey read the biblical text to those in attendance, some people left. The chaplain continued with his message adding, "God provides grace, forgiveness, and wholeness to all who trust in God, regardless of past behavior."

After the sermon, an onsite V.A. police officer approached Trubey and informed him there were complaints about the content. 

Trubey notified his supervisor, who said that Romans 1 was a "very charged and divisive text," and requested notes from the message. She specifically asked him to "write out any extemporaneous lines that [he] might have said that others might have found offensive." 

The chaplain complied with his supervisor's request but found that he had been relieved of his duty of offering patient care services to individuals at the V.A. and assigned to logistics while they investigated him for the sermon. 

"Trubey was relegated to logistics, stocking shelves, counting inventory, and performing other duties unrelated to serving as a chaplain," explains First Liberty. "Chaplain Trubey quickly learned that this position was commonly referred to among staff as 'nurse jail,' as it was where staff members were banished while being investigated or punished."

"During this time, Chaplain Trubey was isolated from his fellow chaplains and the veterans whom he cherished serving. Because of the staff perception of 'nurse jail,' Chaplain Trubey experienced ostracization, strange looks, and being the subject of the workplace rumor mill," it continued. 

During that time, Trubey's supervisor introduced changes to "CVAMC Chaplain Service Standard Operating Procedure and Performance Plan," which would subject chaplains to discipline if they preach sermons that relate to "divisive, cultural, or political issues."

"The proposed changes would give Chaplain White, or anyone else with an ire towards certain religious beliefs, the ability to silence chaplains who preach sermons she disagrees with. Chaplain White has displayed a pattern of discriminating against Christians at the Coatesville Facility, as Chaplain Trubey is not the only chaplain that she has punished for allowing the Bible to be quoted in the presence of veterans," First Liberty alleges. 

The group adds that on top of the new policy, Trubey received a Letter of Reprimand for "Conduct Unbecoming" in November as a result of the investigation against him. 

First Liberty notified the Coatsville Facility that they would be representing Trubey. As a result, they rescinded the letter or reprimand, but "White confirmed her intent to continue discriminating against Chaplain Trubey during his 'Return to Service' meeting."

The legal group says the censorship of his sermons not only violates his First Amendment free speech protections but it violates the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA).

The group and the Independence Law Center are asking V.A. Secretary Doug Collins to reverse course on the policy changes and to protect the chaplain's First Amendment rights. 

"If there is a bedrock principle underlying the First Amendment, it is that the Government may not prohibit the expression of an idea simply because society finds the idea itself offensive or disagreeable," the attorneys explained. 

"Indeed, the Bible and other religious texts comment extensively on what some people could deem 'divisive, cultural, or political,' and chaplains would be hard-pressed to preach a sermon avoiding these topics and giving the viewpoint espoused by their religious text. This opens the door for supervisors to punish chaplains simply for preaching a viewpoint they find offensive," they continued.

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