Jackson v.

Birmingham Board of Education (2004)

Legal brief #1 Katie Seidel
Citation:
- Roderick Jackson v. Birmingham Board of Education (2004). The Supreme Court 02-
1672
- FindLaw Cases and Codes. FindLaw: Cases and Codes. Retrieved March 14, 2017, from
http://caselaw.findlaw.com/us-supreme-court/544/167.html
Facts:

- Rodrick Jackson, who was the womens basketball coach brought suit against the
Birmingham, Alabama Public schools after discovering that the womens basketball team
was not receiving equal funding, access to facilities and equipment.
- After making school board members and his direct supervisors he began to receive
negative work evaluations and was eventually removed as the womens coach.
Issues:

- Jackson has filed suit against Birmingham public schools due to intentional
discrimination based on sex, which is in direct violation of Title IX.
- However, the larger issue in this case is the interpretation and broad wording of Title IX
of the retaliation clause.
Ruling:

- Justice OConnor of the Supreme Court delivered the opinion of the court.
- She noted that, that statute (Title IX) is broadly worded; it does not require that the
victim of the retaliation must also be the victim of the discrimination that is the subject of
the original complaint.
- She goes on to explain that Congress enacted Title IX to prevent the use of federal dollars
to support discriminatory practices but to also provide individual citizens protection
against discriminatory practices
- The decision of the Court of Appeals was reversed and the case was remanded for further
proceedings.
Rationale:

-As mentioned earlier the purpose of Title IX is to protect against discriminatory practices
- Reporting Incidents of discrimination if integral to Title IX enforcement and retaliation against
those who report would undermine the very purpose of Title IX
- If Title IXs private right to action does not encompass retaliation claims, individuals who
witness discrimination are not likely to report it
Conclusion:

- As an educational leader in an athletic setting, this ruling does have an effect on me. It is
crucial to be aware of discriminatory practices and know that as a reporter of such
behavior I have rights.
- In the current age there are less issues relating to Title IX but it is still important to be
aware and report any violations relating to Title IX to ensure that Title IX is not
undermined.
- The ruling clarifies that individuals are encouraged to report Title IX violations and now
there is a legal precedent for issues like this.