Lamb's Chapel v. Center Moriches Union Free School District

When the church brought the case to the district court, it alleged that the school district had broken state law by discriminating against them on the basis of religion and restricting their right to free speech--two actions not allowed to be taken by a public institution. The court, however, ruled in favor of the district, affirming that the school facilities constituted a "limited public forum," that the laws that allowed usage of school facilities did not include "religious worship or instruction," and that the church had admitted that the films were to promote religious ideas, which, as a public institution, the district had no responsibility to do. It further ruled that if the school district had at any time granted space to other groups for religious purposes the church would have a case. Since the district had categorically disallowed all religious requests, the denial was within their rights.

The church appealed the decision to the court of appeals which upheld the ruling "in all respects." The court found that school property was not a traditional public forum when school was not in session and therefore it is subject to rules for public property only for "specified uses."