496 U.S. 226 (1990)
The case of Board of Education of Westside Community Schools v. Mergens is a landmark decision by the Supreme Court of the United States that reinforced the application of the Equal Access Act in public schools.
Does the school's denial of permission to a student group to form a Christian club violate the Equal Access Act when the school allows other non-curricular clubs?
Under the Equal Access Act, public secondary schools that receive federal funds and allow at least one non-curricular student group to meet during non-instructional time must provide all groups, regardless of religious or political content, equal access.
The Supreme Court held that the denial of access was a violation of the Equal Access Act. The Act requires that once a public school permits any non-curricular student group to meet, other groups, including those of a religious nature, must be afforded the same opportunity.
The significance of this case lies in its reinforcement of the Equal Access Act and its implications for First Amendment jurisprudence. It underscored that when public schools create a limited public forum, they must remain content-neutral regarding student speech. The decision also clarified the delicate balance between preventing governmental endorsement of religion while protecting individual expressive rights in school-sponsored events.