Opinion ID: 561200
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Mackey's appeal

Text: 26 Mackey also appeals the district court's damage award. He contends that Merritt is entitled to no damages, in spite of his loss of a pretermination hearing, because any injury sustained was caused by his loss of employment. Mackey contends that because the district court found that Merritt's discharge was justified and would have occurred regardless of Mackey's intervention, he is liable for no damages. 27 Merritt can recover for mental and emotional distress caused by the denial of procedural due process if he proves actual injury. Carey v. Piphus, 435 U.S. 247, 264, 98 S.Ct. 1042, 1052, 55 L.Ed.2d 252 (1977); Chalmers v. City of Los Angeles, 762 F.2d 753, 761 (9th Cir.1985). Here, the district court reviewed extensive evidence of actual damages arising from Merritt's being terminated without adequate opportunity to be heard or to protest his termination. It found Merritt's evidence credible, and awarded $35,000 damages. The district court thus awarded damages, not for Merritt's loss of employment, but for his denial of a hearing before he was discharged. 28 We review the district court's computation of damages for clear error. See Galindo v. Stoody Co., 793 F.2d 1502, 1516 (9th Cir.1986). In light of the evidence offered by Merritt, we are not prepared to say that the district court's award was clearly erroneous.