Married Fresno Unified HR boss accused of coercing ex-college basketball star into sex, threatening his family: suit

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A married HR executive at a California school district allegedly waged a relentless campaign of sexual harassment, threats, and coercion against a subordinate, threatening his family, pressuring him into sex, and secretly topping up his slashed wages using a Target card, an explosive lawsuit has claimed.

According to court documents filed in the Superior Court of California, Ja’Vance Coleman — a 42-year-old former NBA prospect at Fresno State — claims he was subjected to sexual harassment, racial discrimination, and retaliation by former Fresno Unified School District HR director Manjit Atwal.

Official court filings show the civil lawsuit, which brings nine causes of action against Atwal and the district, has been assigned to Judge Jonathan M. Skiles in Department 503 of the Fresno Superior Court. 

According to the suit obtained by The Post, Coleman was first hired by the district in January 2023 as a noontime assistant at Columbia Elementary School before landing a role within FUSD’s main human resources department later that spring.

The legal papers allege Atwal quickly propositioned her new subordinate for sexual favors. According to the complaint, Atwal had established a “pattern of threatening the jobs or job-related benefits of black employees in exchange for sexual acts,” leaving Coleman to believe that refusing her advances would lead to immediate firing or reprisals.

The suit alleges Atwal became “territorial,” falsely accusing female co-workers of flirting with Coleman and moving his desk to isolate him from other staff.

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According to the suit, after other employees and administrators began suspecting the harassment, FUSD transferred Coleman to Tatarian Elementary School as a campus safety assistant, cutting his pay from $35 an hour to $25 an hour.

The filing alleges Atwal then stepped in to cover the pay drop herself, secretly supplementing his income with off-the-books cash and purchases made on her personal Target credit card “so that her husband would not notice”.

According to the complaint, when an internal investigation into the hostile work environment began, Atwal allegedly offered Coleman a $300 bribe to lie to investigators and deny that any sexual relationship or harassment had occurred.

The lawsuit asserts that when Coleman eventually refused her advances near the end of 2025, Atwal allegedly retaliated against him.

According to court papers, the HR boss showed up at the house owned by Coleman’s mother, repeatedly drove past his home, and threatened his family.

The suit alleges she warned him that if anyone learned of their relationship, his district-employed relatives would lose their jobs, and his high school basketball star son, who plays point guard, would be blocked from graduating or attending college.

In another allegation detailed in the filing, Atwal allegedly accused Coleman of stealing her jewelry and sent him a news article detailing the lynching of a black man in a local park.

The complaint alleges top FUSD executives knew about Atwal’s conduct but failed to take immediate action to protect him.

Before transitioning into a school district role, Coleman was a prominent local athlete in the Central Valley, starring at Washington Union High School before playing three seasons for the Fresno State Bulldogs from 2004 to 2007, earning All-WAC honors. 

Following the suit’s filing, former district employees have spoken out regarding Atwal’s workplace behavior.

In a social media statement, former FUSD office assistant Carla Sewell claimed Atwal had “been like this for years,” recalling an incident where the former HR executive “began screaming and yelling at me to the point where she was asked to leave the room.”

“Toxic management and higher-ups who create unhealthy work environments should not be allowed to continue without consequences,” Sewell said.

According to court records, FUSD eventually placed Atwal on extended paid administrative leave for nearly an entire school year before informing her that if she did not resign, the district would fire her.

An FUSD spokesperson said while the district cannot comment on pending litigation or confidential personnel matters, it takes all allegations of harassment and discrimination seriously, confirming Ms Atwal is no longer employed by the district.