Sincerity of Religious Beliefs May Be Explored In Moorish Americans' Challenge To Firings

In Bey v. City of New York, 2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 1743 (SD NY, Jan. 4, 2012), a New York federal district court ruled on 12 in limine motions in a case in which Moorish American plaintiffs are challenging their termination of employment by the New York Department of Corrections for filing false tax documents. Plaintiffs claim that "members of the Moorish American faith [cannot] be taxed without their voluntary consent."  Among the rulings on motions, the court held that "evidence of plaintiffs religious beliefs may be introduced. The objective truth or not of those beliefs themselves is not to be put in issue; defendants may, however, inquire into whether the beliefs are sincerely held and religious in nature." (See prior related posting.)