Taylor v. Dep't of Fish & Game of State of Montana, 523 F. Supp. 514 (D. Mont. 1981). · Go Syfert
Taylor v. Dep't of Fish & Game of State of Montana, 523 F. Supp. 514 (D. Mont. 1981). Cases Citing This Book View Copy Cite
11 citation events across 6 distinct courts.
Strongest positive: Equal Employment Opportunity Commission v. Wyoming (scotus, 1983-03-02)
Top citers, strongest first. 2 distinct citers. How cited ↗
discussed Cited as authority (rule) Equal Employment Opportunity Commission v. Wyoming (2×)
SCOTUS · 1983 · confidence medium
Since the District Court decision in this case, two other District Court opinions have followed its lead, Campbell v. Connelie, 542 F. Supp. 275, 280 (NDNY 1982); Taylor v. Montana Department of Fish & Game, 523 F. Supp. 514, 515 (Mont. 1981), but at least two Court of Appeals and eight District Court opinions have declined to do so, see EEOC v. County of Calumet, 686 F. 2d 1249 , 1251-1253 (CA7 1982); EEOC v. Elrod, 674 F. 2d 601 , 603-612 (CA7 1982); McCroan v. Bailey, 543 F. Supp. 1201, 1205-1207 (SD Ga. 1982); Kenny v. Valley County School District, 543 F. Supp. 1194, 1196-1199 (Mont. 1982…
discussed Cited "see" Black v. Goodman
D. Mont. · 1990 · signal: see · confidence high
See, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission v. Wyoming, 460 U.S. 226, 259-63 , 103 S.Ct. 1054, 1072-74 , 75 L.Ed.2d 18 (1983) (Burger, C.J., joined by Powell, Rehnquist and O’Connor, JJ., dissenting). 5 After careful consideration, this court, bound by its prior decision in Taylor, supra, and absent any controlling decision by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, concludes the ADEA was enacted pursuant to the Commerce Clause and not the fourteenth amendment.
Retrieving the full opinion text from the archive…
Courtney L. TAYLOR, Plaintiff,
v.
DEPARTMENT OF FISH AND GAME OF the STATE OF MONTANA,* Robert F. Wambach, the Department of Administration (Public Employees’ Retirement Division), Lawrence P. Nachtsheim, Defendants
CV 80-7-M.
District Court, D. Montana.
Oct 7, 1981.
523 F. Supp. 514
John C. Doyle, Hamilton, Mont., for plaintiff., F. Woodside Wright, Helena, Mont., for Fish, Wildlife & Parks., J. Michael Young, Helena, Mont., for P.E. R.D. and Nachtsheim.
Russell E. Smith.
Cited by 9 opinions  |  Published

OPINION AND ORDER

RUSSELL E. SMITH, District Judge.

Defendants have moved for a reconsideration of the court’s action in denying defendants’ motion for summary judgment. In considering the motion for summary judgment, the court has relied on the agreed statement of facts upon the basis of which both plaintiff and defendants moved for a summary judgment. A state game warden was retired under MCA § 19-8-601(2) (1979), which mandates retirement at age 60 regardless of physical condition. I previously thought that the validity of the retirement law might depend upon whether the classification of persons over 60 was a reasonable classification under the terms of the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA). Now I conclude that the court cannot reach that problem.

It seems clear that Congress, in the exercise of its power under the Commerce Clause, may not regulate the working conditions of state employees engaged in purely governmental functions. National League of Cities v. Usery, 426 U.S. 833, 96 S.Ct. 2465, 49 L.Ed.2d 245 (1976). In EEOC v. Wyoming, 514 F.Supp. 595 (D.Wyo.1981), the court held that the ADEA was enacted under the Commerce Clause rather than the 14th amendment and that game wardens in Wyoming could not be protected by the ADEA. The Wyoming court acted after the decision in Pennhurst State School & Hospital v. Halderman, - U.S. -, 101 S.Ct. 1531, 67 L.Ed.2d 694 (1981). In Pennhurst it was said that the courts “should not quickly attribute to Congress an unstated intent to act under its authority to enforce the Fourteenth Amendment.” Id. at 1539.

[*515] In Arritt v. Grisell, 567 F.2d 1267 (4th Cir. 1977), which was decided prior to Pennhurst, the Court of Appeals reached a contrary conclusion. I follow EEOC v. Wyoming and conclude that the 1974 amendments [1] to the Fair Labor Standards Act were not within the authority granted to Congress by the Commerce Clause. [2]

IT IS THEREFORE ORDERED that judgment be entered for the defendants denying the plaintiff all relief.

1

. 29 U.S.C. § 203(e)(2)(C).

2

. U.S.Const. art. 1, § 8, cl. 3.