LOS ANGELES — In the latest of a series of discrimination verdicts against the Los Angeles Fire Department, a jury this week awarded $6.2 million to a woman firefighter who claimed she was harassed because she is black and a lesbian.

Brenda Lee was back in court yesterday for the jury to consider punitive damages against her former supervisors. That could result in the city paying her even more money, officials said.

“For one case, this is a major hit on the city budget,” Councilman Jack Weiss, who chairs the council’s public safety committee, said Wednesday. Mr. Weiss added, however, that the fire department is “under new leadership committed to changing the culture.”

“It’s beyond anyone’s ability to change the past,” he said.

Allegations of racial and sexual discrimination have been roiling the department for at least the past two years, prompting a former chief, William Bamattre, to step down at the end of last year. Also last year, an audit by City Controller Laura Chick found that 87% of blacks and nearly 80% of women in the department were aware of or had experienced discrimination.

Ms. Lee filed her suit in 2005. She alleged, among other things, that she was retaliated against for complaining about discrimination and was later declared unfit for duty by the department.

Jonathan Diamond, a spokesman for City Attorney Rocky Delgadillo, said Wednesday that lawyers for the city are reviewing their options in the Lee verdict.

In related cases, two other firefighters who worked with Ms. Lee at Station 96 have won awards in lawsuits charging they suffered retaliation for supporting her.

Lewis “Steve” Bressler, won $1.7 million from a jury earlier this spring. Gary Mellinger settled his part of the case with the city in November for $350,000.

In addition, in September, firefighter Ruthie Bernal was paid $320,000 by the city to settle a sexual harassment and battery lawsuit, in which she alleged that her captain made continual sexual requests, tried to kiss her, and treated her harshly when she rejected him.