Cruz ex rel. Cruz v. Alhambra School District

MEMORANDUM **

Plaintiffs are current and future female students at Alhambra High School. They brought this successful Title IX class action against various individuals, the Alhambra Unified School District, and the City of Alhambra for their failure to provide female students with an equal opportunity to participate in school athletics.

After several years of litigation, the parties entered into settlement agreements that granted Plaintiffs their requested relief. The settlement agreements provided that the district court would retain jurisdiction over the case to determine attorneys’ fees. Accordingly, on January 10, *580 2006, Plaintiffs moved for $975,599.61 1 in attorneys’ fees under 42 U.S.C. § 1988 . The district court recognized that Plaintiffs had prevailed and that they had obtained “excellent results.” Nevertheless, the district court awarded Plaintiffs only approximately one-third of their requested fees. The district court also denied Plaintiffs’ subsequent motion to amend or alter the judgment under Rule 59(e) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure (“Rule 59(e)”).

Plaintiffs now appeal both of the district court’s orders. 2 We have jurisdiction under 28 U.S.C. §…