New York state law permits school districts to allow their buildings to be
used outside school hours for social, civic, and recreational but not for
religious purposes. The Center Moriches district, interpreting these regulations,
denied permission for a local church group to show a film on Christian
family values in a school building after school hours. The church and its pastor brought
suit against the district in United States District Court, claiming their
First Amendment right of free speech was being denied. The District Court agreed with the
school district. The area was a limited public forum, the school district
had not opened its facilities to organizations for similar religious purposes and
therefore the denial was "viewpoint neutral." The US Court of Appeals
affirmed the decision.