Group claims NASA is attempting to censor word 'Jesus' in company newsletter

HOUSTON – A group of NASA employees are threatening to sue the Johnson Space Center because the group claims the Space Center is banning them from using the name "Jesus" in a company newsletter.

"That's blatant discrimination from a religious perspective," said Jeremy Dys, an attorney with the Liberty Institute representing the group.

The employees who are making the allegations are part of a group called "Nasa JSC Praise and Worship Club."

"We want NASA to stop censoring us using the word "Jesus" in our announcement," said Sophia Smith, a member of the "Nasa JSC Praise and Worship Club."

Smith told KPRC 2  the club meets during lunch hour at work to talk about their Christian faith and sing Christian songs.

Last May, club organizers said they sent in an announcement to be posted about their meeting to the Johnson Space Center's online email newsletter.

The announcement read "Jesus is our life."

"It's part of our belief and we are called to use the name of Jesus when we pray," said Smith.

But the club claims attorneys for the Space Center told them they could not use the name "Jesus" in the newsletter because it would seem like the agency was endorsing Christianity over other religions and non-religion.

"It's illegal for Johnson Space Center attorneys to censor the name Jesus in employee emails," said Dys.

A spokesperson with NASA's Johnson Space Center gave KPRC 2 the following statement over the phone:

"NASA does not prohibit the use of any specific religious names in employee newsletters or other internal communications. The agency allows a host of employee-led civic, professional, religious and other organizations to meet on NASA property on employees' own time. Consistent with federal law, NASA attempts to balance employees' rights to freely exercise religious beliefs with its obligation to ensure there is no government endorsement of religion. We believe in and encourage open and diverse dialogue among our employees and across the agency."

In a demand letter to the Johnson Space Center, attorneys for the  "Nasa JSC Praise and Worship Club" are giving the Space Center until March 10 to allow the club to use the name "Jesus" in newsletter announcements.