Citation Codes Equivalent Citations citation codes Docket Number No. 97-5134 Advocates ARGUED: Donald A. Donati, DONATI LAW FIRM, Memphis, Tennessee, for Appellants. Michael E. Moore, OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL, CRIMINAL JUSTICE DIVISION, Nashville, Tennessee, for Appellees. Seth M. Galanter, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE, CIVIL RIGHTS DIVISION, APPELLATE SECTION, Washington, D.C., for Intervenor. Jeffrey S. Sutton, OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL, Columbus, Ohio, for Amicus Curiae. ON BRIEF: Donald A. Donati, DONATI LAW FIRM, Memphis, Tennessee, Jeffrey L. Atchley, NORWOOD, WILSON ATCHLEY, Memphis, Tennessee, for Appellants. Michael E. Moore, OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL, CRIMINAL JUSTICE DIVISION, Nashville, Tennessee, Sheri H. Lipman, BURCH, PORTER JOHNSON, Memphis, Tennessee, for Appellees. Seth M. Galanter, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE, CIVIL RIGHTS DIVISION, APPELLATE SECTION, Washington, D.C., for Intervenor. Douglas A. Hedin, LAW OFFICE OF DOUGLAS A. HEDIN, Minneapolis, Minnesota, Thomas W. Osborne, AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF RETIRED PERSONS, Washington, D.C. Jeffrey S. Sutton, Jack W. Decker, OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL, Columbus, Ohio, for Amici Curiae. Judges Ralph B. Guy Ransey Guy Cole Acts Labor — Age Discrimination In Employment — Congressional Statement Of Findings And Purpose See more information ... Smart Summary Please sign up to generate summary. OPINION DALVAN M. COGER; JOSEPH K. DAVIS; CAROLYN THORPE FURR; LUCILLE GOLIGHTLY; THOMAS M. HUGHES; JANIE S. KNIGHT; CHARLES E. LONG, JR.; HARRY RICHARD MAHOOD; RAMONA MADSON MAHOOD; ROBERT MARSHALL; BETTY HULL OWEN; JUNE ROSE RICHIE; STEVE SCESA; CHARLES R. SCHROEDER; ROBERT A. SNYDER; BOB J. TUCKER; SHARON L. VAN OTEGHEN, Plaintiffs-Appellants, WILLIAM WELCH, Plaintiff, UNITED STATES of AMERICA, INTERVENOR, v. BOARD of REGENTS of the STATE of TENNESSEE, a SUBDIVISION of the STATE of TENNESSEE; MEMPHIS STATE UNIVERSITY, AN INSTITUTION OPERATED by the STATE BOARD of REGENTS; THOMAS G. CARPENTER, INDIVIDUALLY and as PRESIDENT OF MEMPHIS STATE UNIVERSITY; VICTOR E. FEISAL, INDIVIDUALLY and as VICE-PRESIDENT of ACADEMIC AFFAIRS at MEMPHIS STATE UNIVERSITY, Defendants-Appellees. OPINION GUY R. COLE, JR., Circuit Judge. In our prior opinion in this case, Coger v. Board of Regents, 154 F.3d 296, 307 (6th Cir. 1998), we concluded that Congress intended to abrogate the states' Eleventh Amendment immunity from suit by its enactment of the 1974 amendments to the Age Discrimination in Employment Act ("ADEA"), 29 U.S.C. § 621 et seq., and that it had the authority to do so pursuant to Section 5 of the Fourteenth Amendment. The Supreme Court, in a plurality opinion, now has determined that although the ADEA does contain a clear statement of Congress' intent to abrogate the states' immunity, the abrogation exceeded Congress' authority under Section 5 of the Fourteenth Amendment. See Kimel v. Florida Bd. of Regents, 120 S.Ct. 631, 649-50 (2000). Having carefully considered the present case in light of Kimel, we conclude that the faculty members cannot maintain their ADEA suit against the University, a state employer. We therefore VACATE our prior judgment and AFFIRM the district court's order dismissing the plaintiffs' ADEA action.