Opinion ID: 481093
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Substantive Constitutional Claim

Text: 17 Appellant argues that he established a substantial likelihood that he will prevail on the merits of his claim of unconstitutional racial discrimination because the record clearly shows that the concession was awarded to a white female of lesser qualifications rather than to Cunningham as the highest and best bidder. Our review of the record, however, reveals two flaws underlying appellant's argument. First, there is no evidence that the Board's decision was in any way motivated by race. The Board did not select Wild Blue Deli over Cunningham because one proposal was submitted by a white and the other by a black, but because one was submitted by a female and the other by a male. 7 Second, the record indicates that both prospective concessionaires were equivalently qualified. The Board heard oral presentations from both Cunningham and Wild Blue Deli precisely because the difference between the two was minimal. 8 As appellee points out, although Cunningham emerged from the Committee with the lowest total points, Wild Blue Deli actually received more first place votes than did Cunningham. 18 The substantive constitutional issue presented by this case, then, is whether it was unconstitutional discrimination for the Board to award the airport concession to a white female pursuant to the county's WBE program rather than to a black male of similar qualifications under its MBE program. While no court has squarely addressed this precise issue, the Supreme Court has upheld the constitutionality of narrowly-tailored MBE programs against challenges from white-majority members. 9 In Fullilove v. Klutznick, 448 U.S. 448, 100 S.Ct. 2758, 65 L.Ed.2d 902 (1980), the Court held that making race-conscious decisions pursuant to such a program is permissible so long as the program is narrowly tailored and designed to remedy an established history of discrimination. Id. at 482-84, 100 S.Ct. at 2776-77; see also South Florida Chapter of the Associated General Contractors of America v. Metropolitan Dade County Florida, 723 F.2d 846, 853-55 (11th Cir.1984) (upholding Dade County MBE plan). 19 While this concession was awarded pursuant to a WBE rather than strictly an MBE, there is little conceptual or legal difference between the two programs--in fact, the courts have upheld the constitutionality of MBE programs which included women as eligible minorities. See, e.g., Local Union No. 35 of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers v. City of Hartford, 625 F.2d 416, 424 (2d Cir.1980). The awarding of the contract in this instance by the Board to the WBE violated no equal protection rights of appellant Cunningham. See Ohio Contractors Association v. Keip, 713 F.2d 167, 175-76 (6th Cir.1983) (affirmative action plan designed to remedy past violations of right to equal protection does not in and of itself cause new violations of right to equal protection). 20 While it is theoretically possible that West Palm Beach County's WBE program does not comport with Fullilove and is therefore unconstitutional, appellant made no attempt to prove that, and the record is devoid of facts necessary to evaluate the program under Fullilove. We conclude therefore that the trial court did not abuse its discretion in finding that Cunningham failed to establish a likelihood of prevailing on the merits on his claim of violation of his substantive constitutional rights.