Separation of church and state organization calls on Mississippi sheriff to cease promoting Christian messages on social media

A national nonprofit has called on a Mississippi sheriff to cease promoting Christianity through official channels.

The Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF) has raised concerns that Monroe County Sheriff Kevin Crook’s office has been using its platforms, including its website and Facebook page, to broadcast religious messages.

Notably, the sheriff’s page features “In God We Trust!” and has posted content with Christian themes. In April 2022, the page’s profile picture showed a sheriff’s vehicle behind three Christian crosses, and on August 3, a lengthy post ended with a call to “find Jesus.”

FFRF Staff Attorney Chris Line criticized Sheriff Crook for using his position and the sheriff’s office resources to advance his personal religious beliefs. According to FFRF, these religious posts could alienate non-Christian and non-religious community members, potentially undermining trust in law enforcement.

FFRF has demanded that the sheriff’s office remove the religious content and refrain from promoting religion on its social media in the future. “Citizens need to be able to trust their law enforcement officers in times of need,” said FFRF Co-President Annie Laurie Gaylor. “Religion should not intrude into governmental affairs.”

The FFRF, a national nonprofit with approximately 40,000 members, advocates for the separation of church and state and educates the public on nontheism.