Harman

In an earlier appeal in this employment discrimination case, we reversed a summary judgment in favor of the defendants, City and County of San Francisco, individual members of the San Francisco Airport Commission, and the director of the San Francisco International Airport (hereafter the City) with respect to one cause of action of one plaintiff, Allen Harman (hereafter Harman), who claimed to have suffered an approximate one-year delay in promotion as the result of racial discrimination in violation of the federal Civil Rights Act of 1871 ( 42 U.S.C. § 1983 ). Following a seven-day trial, the jury awarded Harman compensatory damages of $30,300 based on a special verdict finding discrimination against White males in promotional opportunities, and the trial court subsequently awarded Harman’s counsel $1.1 million in attorney fees. We affirm the judgment for damages but remand the award of attorney fees for further consideration.

FACTUAL AND PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND

In September 1999, three White males, including Harman, who were employed as airfield safety officers at the San Francisco International Airport, filed a complaint in federal court alleging employment…