(Houston News) — Congressman Ted Poe (TX-02) on Wednesday, June 29, sent
a letter to the Department of Veterans Affairs in Washington, DC, and issued the following statement in response to recent
allegations regarding religious discrimination by the Director of the Houston National Cemetery:
“I am deeply troubled by the allegations that were brought to my attention
when I met with members of the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) in Houston,” said Poe. The director of the Houston National
Cemetery, Arleen Ocasio, allegedly has engaged in aggressive hostile censorship of religion at the second largest cemetery
for veterans in the United States.
“The
First Amendment is a sacred right of all Americans, especially those who have honorably served — and given their lives
— in the name of protecting the United States. Denying their families their constitutional right to the free exercise
of religious freedom is disgraceful and shows blatant disrespect for America’s veterans. If these allegations are true,
I formally call for the termination of Arleen Ocasio as the director the Houston National Cemetery. This display of authoritarian
behavior and religious discrimination should not be tolerated.”
LIST OF ACCUSATIONS
1) Director Ocasio
and other Cemetery Officials instructed Veterans of Foreign Wars District 4 to remove prayers from its burial rituals and
to no longer utter remarks when handling the discharged shell cases from the rifle salute to the family of deceased veterans.
2) Cemetery Officials instructed American Legion Post 586 to remove prayers from
its burial rituals.
3) Director Ocasio told
the National Memorial Ladies that it could no longer include “God Bless” in its condolence cards or speak a religious
message to veterans’ families.
4) Director
Ocascio shut down the Cemetery chapel; it is now a “meeting facility.”
