City Ban on After-School Worship Services Stands

The U.S. Supreme Court has rejected an evangelical church's plea to overturn New York City's ban on after-hours religious worship services at public schools.

The justices Monday left in place a federal appeals court ruling that upheld the city's policy.

The Bronx Household of Faith is an evangelical Christian church that has held Sunday services at P.S. 15 in the Bronx since 2002. The church services were allowed to continue pending the outcome of the school's lawsuit against the city.

The church says the city allows many groups to use school buildings after hours. But the city says that it risks blurring church-state separation if it allows worship services in public schools.

The city says that roughly five dozen congregations used public schools for their religious services in 2009.