Court Opinion

ID: 9480702
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-05 07:55:49.05367+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:47:51.053077
License: Public Domain

JOHNSON, Circuit Judge,
concurring specially:
Guardians Association is indeed a fragmented opinion. In divining a rule of law from it to address the situation now before this Court, we must consider the holding of the case to be the “ ‘position taken by those Members who concurred in the judgments on the narrowest grounds.’ ” Marks v. United States, 430 U.S. 188, 193, 97 S.Ct. 990, 993, 51 L.Ed.2d 260 (1977) (quoting Gregg v. Georgia, 428 U.S. 153, 169, 96 S.Ct. 2909, 2923, 49 L.Ed.2d 859 n. 15 (1976)). See also Martin v. Dugger, 891 F.2d 807, 809 n. 2 (11th Cir.1989). In reaching the result in Guardians Association, five Members of the Court concluded *623that the appellants could not be awarded compensatory relief without a showing of intentional discrimination. See Guardians Association, 463 U.S. at 606-07, 103 S.Ct. at 3234-35 (White, J., announcing judgment of the Court, joined by Rehnquist, J.); id. at 610-11, 103 S.Ct. at 3236-37 (Powell, J., concurring, joined by Burger, C.J., and Rehnquist, J.); id. at 615, 103 S.Ct. at 3239 (O’Connor, J., concurring). This was the narrowest conclusion resulting in judgment and is therefore the rule to be drawn from the case. The many other suggestions made by the various concurrences and dissents regarding the kinds of remedies available under Title VI and the proof needed to achieve those remedies must be considered dicta. The opinions of Justices White and O’Connor specifically put aside the question of whether under Title VI damages may be awarded those suffering intentional discrimination. The opinions of Justices Marshall and Stevens indicate their preference to award compensatory relief to victims of discrimination under Title VI whether or not those victims can show purposeful discrimination, but their statements do not constitute an intervening rule of law which overrules the precedent of our Circuit. Until the Supreme Court or an en banc court of our own Circuit says otherwise, Drayden is binding precedent and we must follow it. United States v. Machado, 804 F.2d 1537, 1543 (11th Cir.1986) (stating that “[ojnly a decision by this court sitting en banc or the United States Supreme Court can overrule a prior panel decision”).
I concur specially because I believe that Drayden alone is dispositive of this case. It is not necessary therefore to address the issues of whether Titles VI and IX are grounded solely in the Spending Clause or whether Title VII analysis should apply to an action under Title VI or Title IX.