 The society complained that it could not complete the purchase of the land and gain the standing the board required of it until the zoning approval had been granted, because its purchase agreement was contingent upon that action, putting the society in a Catch-22 situation.The denial prompted a federal investigation by the U.S Attorney into potential religious discrimination, and a warning letter from the Massachusetts Attorney General.The Massachusetts chapter of the ACLU filed a lawsuit in state land court, claiming the denial violated freedom of religion provisions in the First Amendment to the United States Constitution, the Massachusetts Declaration of Rights, the Federal Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act, and the state Dover Amendment (which exempts certain religious organizations from zoning regulations).