School district ‘bullied’ athletic director in Fresno into resigning, lawsuit says
A former athletic director at Justin Garza High School is suing Central Unified for wrongful termination and whistleblower retaliation, alleging he was “scapegoated” after he reported an unauthorized video camera in a training room used by students.
In a complaint filed last month, Hovig Torigian alleges the high school’s principal and district officials failed to investigate the matter and later “bullied” him into resigning after the district launched an investigation nine months after the incident.
According to Torigian’s complaint, an athletic trainer set up the video camera in January 2024 without Torigian’s knowledge or authorization after items were taken out of the room without permission. Torigian said he became aware of the camera only after the trainer showed him footage that captured an assistant football coach urinating in the training room floor drain, per the lawsuit.
Torigian said he immediately reported the unauthorized video camera to the school principal, directed the athletic trainer to remove the camera, and told the assistant football coach to stay out of the training room unless accompanied by the trainer.
According to the complaint, the district didn’t formally investigate the incident until September 2024 “only after a parent addressed the issue at a public meeting.”
Torigian said he was placed on administrative leave. The lawsuit accuses the school district of carrying out an investigation with inaccurate findings “intended to support a false finding of wrongdoing by Plaintiff.”
In the complaint, Torigian alleges he was pressured by the district’s assistant superintendent of human resources into resigning, and was told administrators and school board trustees wanted to terminate him.
Torigian resigned Oct. 31, 2024, according to the complaint.
“Plaintiff was scapegoated for reporting misconduct that his superiors and CUSD chose not to investigate after her timely reported it, and he was thereafter punished for his reports because they were not investigated appropriately by superiors,” according to Torigian’s complaint.
Attempts to reach Torigian were unsuccessful. A spokesperson for Central Unified said the district does not comment on pending legal cases.
Torigian’s resignation preceded months of upheaval at the Central Unified School District, which saw the departure of its former superintendent, Ketti Davis, last year.
This story was originally published January 6, 2026 at 10:38 AM.
