A married human resources executive in a California school district is accused of conducting a persistent campaign of sexual harassment, coercion, and threats against a subordinate, which included intimidation toward his family and pressuring him for sexual favors, according to a recent lawsuit.
Ja’Vance Coleman, a 42-year-old who had previously been a basketball prospect at Fresno State, alleges that he experienced sexual harassment, racial discrimination, and retaliation from Manjit Atwal, the former HR director at Fresno Unified School District, as detailed in court documents filed in the Superior Court of California.
This lawsuit, which contains nine claims against Atwal and the district, has been assigned to Judge Jonathan M. Skiles in the Fresno Superior Court.
As per the suit, which has come to light, Coleman joined the district in January 2023 as a noontime assistant at Columbia Elementary before moving into the human resources department later that spring.
The legal documents claim that Atwal quickly made sexual advances toward Coleman. It’s said that she created a “pattern of threatening the jobs or benefits of black employees in exchange for sexual acts,” leading Coleman to feel that refusing her requests could result in immediate termination.
The complaint further alleges that Atwal became “territorial,” wrongfully accusing female colleagues of flirting with Coleman and relocating his desk to isolate him from others.
According to the lawsuit, as suspicions around the harassment grew among other staff, Coleman was reassigned to Tatarian Elementary School in a role as a campus safety assistant, which came with a significant pay cut—from $35 an hour to $25.
It is alleged that Atwal took it upon herself to compensate for this pay reduction, using her personal Target credit card and off-books cash to boost his income without her husband’s knowledge.
When an internal investigation into the hostile work environment commenced, Atwal allegedly proposed a $300 bribe for Coleman to lie and deny any harassment or sexual relationship.
As Coleman refused Atwal’s advances at the end of 2025, she purportedly retaliated against him. According to court documents, she repeatedly showed up at Coleman’s mother’s home, drove by his residence, and made threats toward his family.
Atwal allegedly warned Coleman that if the nature of their relationship became public, his relatives employed by the district would lose their jobs, and it would hinder his son’s educational prospects.
In a rather alarming incident mentioned in the suit, Atwal accused Coleman of theft regarding her jewelry and even sent him an article about a lynching incident involving a black man in a local park.
The lawsuit posits that senior officials at FUSD were aware of Atwal’s behavior but did not act promptly to ensure Coleman’s safety.
Before his employment with the school district, Coleman was a notable athlete in the Central Valley, excelling at Washington Union High School and later playing for the Fresno State Bulldogs, where he earned All-WAC recognition.
In the wake of the lawsuit, former employees of the district have begun to speak out about Atwal’s behavior. One ex-FUSD office assistant, Carla Sewell, stated that Atwal had a history of such conduct, recounting an episode where Atwal’s outburst led to her being asked to leave a meeting.
Sewell remarked, “Toxic management and higher-ups who create unhealthy work environments should not be allowed to continue without consequences.”
Records reveal that Atwal was placed on extended paid administrative leave for nearly a full school year before the district informed her that she would be fired unless she resigned.
A spokesperson for FUSD mentioned that, although they cannot address ongoing litigation or confidential personnel issues, they take allegations of harassment and discrimination seriously, confirming that Atwal is no longer with the district.
