Filed Date: Oct. 7, 2021
Closed Date: Oct. 28, 2021
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Resort Meeting Source, a Colorado-based event planning company and its CEO filed suit in the District of Colorado on October 7, 2021 against the Executive Director of the Colorado Office of Economic and International Trade (OEIT). The plaintiff brought suit under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 for an alleged breach of the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. They asked for declaratory and injunctive relief, attorney’s fees, as well as the certification of a class of "all non-minority businesses that have applied for a grant under the Disproportionately Impacted Business Grant Program." The plaintiffs were represented by the Pacific Legal Foundation and case was assigned to Judge William J. Martinez and Magistrate Judge Nina Y. Wang.
The plaintiff alleged that a Colorado COVID-19 relief bill intended to help struggling businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic violated the Equal Protection clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. The bill stated that to apply for relief funds from the OEIT, a business had to be a “disproportionately impacted business. To qualify as a disproportionately impacted business, a business had to either be a “minority-owned business” (defined as “businesses that are at least 51% owned by members of racial minority groups") or meet one of six other criteria (e.g., have five or few employees, be located in an economically distressed area, have an owner of low or moderate personal wealth). In addition to the eligibility criteria, the plaintiff alleged that OEIT gave preference to minority-owned businesses over other disproportionately impacted businesses. The plaintiff claimed that these provisions were unconstitutional because they discriminated against him because of his race. At the time of the complaint, the plaintiff had applied for relief funds from OEIT, but had presumably not received a decision from OEIT.
On October 8, 2021, the plaintiff filed a motion for a TRO and preliminary injunction enjoining OEIT from “from enforcing or giving any effect to the minority-owned business preference . . . in distributing COVID-19 relief grants.” On October 12, 2021, the Court granted the plaintiff’s motion for a TRO and kept the motion for a preliminary injunction under advisement.
After the TRO was granted, the defendant filed a motion to dismiss for lack of subject-matter jurisdiction. On October 28, 2021, the Court granted the defendant’s motion to dismiss, stating that there was no “injury in fact” because the plaintiff ended up receiving the funds they applied from OEIT. All pending motions were thereafter denied as moot. The case is now closed.
Summary Authors
Richard Cantoral (11/3/2021)
For PACER's information on parties and their attorneys, see: https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/60635041/parties/collins-v-meyers/
Martinez, William Joseph (Colorado)
Fa, Wencong M (California)
Roper, Glenn Evans (Colorado)
Baumann, Peter G (Colorado)
Kotlarczyk, Michael (Colorado)
See docket on RECAP: https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/60635041/collins-v-meyers/
Last updated April 10, 2025, 1:58 p.m.
State / Territory: Colorado
Case Type(s):
Public Benefits/Government Services
Special Collection(s):
Key Dates
Filing Date: Oct. 7, 2021
Closing Date: Oct. 28, 2021
Case Ongoing: No
Plaintiffs
Plaintiff Description:
A Colorado event-planning business owned by a white man.
Plaintiff Type(s):
Public Interest Lawyer: Yes
Filed Pro Se: No
Class Action Sought: Yes
Class Action Outcome: Mooted before ruling
Defendants
Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade, (Denver, Denver), State
Case Details
Causes of Action:
Constitutional Clause(s):
Available Documents:
Injunctive (or Injunctive-like) Relief
Outcome
Prevailing Party: Defendant
Nature of Relief:
Source of Relief:
Issues
General/Misc.:
Discrimination Area:
Discrimination Basis:
Affected Race(s):