Opinion ID: 2982507
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Race-based Discrimination under Title VI

Text: Title VI targets intentional discrimination only. Alexander, 532 U.S. at 280. Appellants, however, fail to plead any plausible claims of intentional discrimination. Rather, Appellants’ Title VI race-discrimination claims consist of nothing more than legal conclusions such as “Plaintiffs have been denied participation based upon race, color, national origin, and gender.” These conclusory allegations of race discrimination are insufficient. “[A] complaint that includes conclusory allegations of discriminatory intent without additional supporting details does not sufficiently show that the pleader is entitled to relief.” Nali v. Ekman, 355 F. App’x 909, 913 (6th Cir. 2009); see also Iqbal, 556 U.S. at 680. Similarly, the Appellants’ allegations that Foster belongs to a suspect class and that BBF is owned by a member of a suspect class— - 17 - Case No. 13-2209 BBF Eng’g Servs. Co. PC v. Michigan while true—do not state a claim of racially motivated discrimination. See Rondigo, L.L.C. v. Twp. of Richmond, 641 F.3d 673, 680-81 (6th Cir. 2011); accord Ashcroft, 556 U.S. at 680. Even if Appellants had managed to articulate a plausible claim based on the actions of Judnic or Stuecher, which they have not, Appellants likely would not be able to establish Title VI liability for MDOT or the State of Michigan under a theory of respondeat superior. In Gesber v. Lago Vista Independent School District, 524 U.S. 274, 290-91 (1998), the Supreme Court held that vicarious liability was not available under Title IX and that a supervisory entity must have had knowledge of and been deliberately indifferent to an employee’s discriminatory actions. The Gesber court reasoned that Title IX was a conditional statute rather than a prohibitory statute, so primary enforcement rested within the jurisdiction of the funding agency. Id. at 286-88. Title VI contains a similar administrative enforcement provision. Compare 20 U.S.C. § 1682 with 42 U.S.C. § 2000d-1. Beyond this similar language, the Gesber court recognized that Title VI and Title IX “operate in the same manner.” 524 U.S. at 286. Accordingly, Gesber’s interpretation that there is no vicariously liability under Title IX supports the notion that there is no vicarious liability under Title VI. See Zeno v. Pine Plains Cent. Sch. Dist., 702 F.3d 655, 665 n.10 (2d Cir. 2012). Appellant’s complaint does not contain any fact-based allegations that either MDOT or the State of Michigan participated in, was aware of, or was deliberately indifferent to any discriminatory acts. Because the complaint fails to offer any plausible race-based Title VI claims, the district court properly dismissed them. See Iqbal, 556 U.S. at 680 (citing Twombly, 550 U.S. at 570). - 18 - Case No. 13-2209 BBF Eng’g Servs. Co. PC v. Michigan