Verbally Assaulted and Intimidated While Trapped in a Parking Lot

My question involves criminal law for the state of: California

I am a female school bus driver. I have been driving a school bus for 7 years.
Today a student I transport missed the bus. I continued on my route, picking up all my other students who were out waiting at their stops on time (though I was now slightly behind schedual because I waited for the absent student). I arrived at school, dropped the kids off in front of the school along side a curb which is on campus, within a one-way, very narrow, horseshoe driveway. I then drove my bus towards the exit. I stopped at the sidewalk before entering the road and waited for a very fast moving Mini-Cooper to pass so I could pull out. The Cooper did not pass, but veered toward me and stopped short of the front bumper of my bus, and blocking enough of the exit to prevent me from pulling out. Yelling at me out the passenger side window was the parent of the student who missed the bus. He appeared extremely agitated and was shaking his finger at me, kind of like you would at a dog after the ten thousandth time it did it's business on your white couch. The dude was pissed. He was yelling that I had left the stop early. I knew this was untrue and all told, I was immidiately intimidated. Being a very tall man, he was leaning almost out the passenger window while seated on the drivers side. Granted he was in a Mini-Cooper, but still. I tried to speak to him calmly, but he continued on his rant until the parents driving the other vehicles trapped in the hoseshoe started honking. He slowly drove away, and I pulled out of the horseshoe and parked immidiately to the right of it. I had been planning to do this for some 45 minutes already. I really need to use the restroom. I pulled out and parked, but the angry man was driving off slowly and when I parked he jerked his steering wheel and drove into to the same strip of sidewalk where I parked, stopping with his car almost straight into the curb, not at all parallel. He then quickly jumped out of his vehicle, never even standing up fully erect as he made his way around it, making a beeline towards my drivers side window where I was seated. I jumped up and dialed dispatch and was already 20 feet towards the back of the bus securing the emergency exits before dispatch even answered the phone. I was not offered help, but told to sit tight until he left, then take a minute to chill. Meanwhile, this 6 foot, 250 plus man stood outside my window ranting into his phone. I am 5'5, 109 (as of my weigh in yesterday).
I have been instructed to pick up this student tomorrow morning. Nothing regarding my safety has been addressed, though I've requested to discuss it twice, once in person, once via email. The only response I've recieved is that his behavior is understandable since I've been sick and other drivers had to cover my route and the drivers have been inconsistant. When I explained that every other student has managed to be out waiting at their stop at the scheduled time, I was then told that I left 7 SECONDS too soon, at 7:11.53 (we are required to wait three minutes passed the stop time. I left at 7:12 according to my cell phone, his stop time being 7:09). I requested a print out of the GPS and was refused. I made my second request to address my concerns for my safety and it went ignored. Every question I have asked regarding my safety or the situation in general is returned with an insinuation that it is my fault. I have been out on sick leave which forced other drivers (including a supervisor and a dispatcher) to drive in my absense, causing the route to be run inconsistently. The parent has been coddled (via phone, in my presence).The two supervisors I've spoken to both agree that his frustration is understandable. No one will address the issue of his hostility and agression. No statements were made to him regarding his conduct. The administrative staff at transportation has defended him as a "very nice man". I am, at this moment, contemplating taking a Lorazapam. This was prescribed to me because of stress on the job. I've already complained to the department director, the director of HR, and to the Superintendant regarding bullying and harrassment I am experiencing within the department, without a single offer of help to resolve it. I am not a sissy. Nor am I a whiny crybaby. I put up with the catty bullcrap at work for over a year. Then I finally put my foot down. Before I did, the harrassment was stupid, bitchy, rumor and innuendo by other females who apparently have miserable lives. But I put my foot down when the attacks became of a nature that slandered me on a professional level. After which the situation became even larger. Including, but not limited to, suggestive photos resembling me received at the corporate office via snail mail. The letter had no return address. The "anonomous" letter writer claimed to have lifted the photos off of an immoral website. I was called into HR over this. My job was threatened even though the claim was never validated (since it was made up!), and I was never even told the name of the site the pics were supposedly pulled off of. I was also denied copies of anything presented to me at the meeting.
I feel I am being neglected in this situation, and perhaps because of my previous complaints. I feel that what this parent did may have been a serious offense, as he did trap me in order to verbally assault me. My work is not offering to help me and i am frightened of this man. Do I have a right to be protected, or at the very least have a conference meeting with the parent and a supervisor via telephone to resolve what transpired? Do I have basis for a call to the authorities? I am phisically ill over this. Any opinions? Anything I didn't cover?

*disclaimer!! We are allowed to refer to our cells for the time since they are programned by sattellite, and thus jive with our GPS and dispatch time keeping devices.
Also, this is a special needs route. The stops are door to door, not a big group of kids at one stop.
Sorry so long!!

If you believe a crime occurred, you can report it to the police.

You can either follow the instructions as provided by your superiors, or, you can decline and risk discipline. If you feel that the conditions are unsafe you can speak to your union rep. as I imagine that you are represented by a union affiliated with the CSEA or some other collective bargaining group.

The other option is seeking new employment. Sometimes a work environment can be sufficiently toxic that you have to just get out.

Oh, and there is no crime for a "verbal assault."

Thank you Mr. I am contemplating that right now. So much has bit me in the you know where for trying to stand up for myself. I added some of what has been going on at my job in an edit to my post as you replied. I am considered a state worker, so I'm unsure if I am dependant on my employer to take legal action.

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Thank you NorCal neighbor. I was unsure of that, but didn't know if the way he trapped me was a step above.

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Hi, I replied to you on the wrong reply!
Thank you NorCal neighbor. I was unsure if it was a crime, but thought the way he trapped me might have taken it to another level.

Depending on how he "trapped" you in, it MIGHT be a misdemeanor or an infraction, but at this point all you can do is make a report to the police and they will investigate. If it was a crime, they can forward it to the DA who will decide whether to file or not. It's not something that would happen quickly, if at all.

As for the rest of it, even if you are a state employee you have a union that you should be able to turn to at least for advice. There may be very little you can do because management does not have to side with you in a dispute with a parent. Ultimately, what must be done and by whom will be spelled out in your MOU and job description.

If the work environment is as bad as you claim it is, then it sounds like it's time to smile a lot, make a positive impression with your employers (so they will say nice things to prospective future employers) and start looking for a new job.

I;m trying to see why you are so distraught. Granted he acted like an ass. That was then. When you pick up the child it will be a different day. Unless he actually threatened you I believe you are getting all worked up about something you have no idea might actually happen.



just drive the bus. Pick of the student as you are required. IF there is an issue, you have your cellphone. Record him if necessary. If he appears to be an actual threat, call 911.

JK~
I appreciate that you are trying to see why I feel as I do. Not many people are willing to do that type of thing. I can tell my reaction confounds you, but what I'm trying to convey in my post is that I, myself, am distraught. I'll re-read my question, but "How would YOU feel if this happened to you" was not the angle I was going for. What I was trying to convey is "This is how I feel". I dont know if attorneys turn down potential clients because they can't relate to how they feel, but I hope there are some who give it a go. It would help those people out in the long run, AND send a message to the ass's out there who think they can get their way by behaving as such.
My job does not require me to put up with being treated the way I was. Not by the public, my students, nor their parents.

NorCal~
My smile gets me relatively few favors at the lot (with anyone who counts ;-)

Thank you for your advice, and I'm putting some of it into action now. I was so fearful the next morning that I blacked out before leaving my home. I was awake and talking, but I have no reccolection. I was in such a state that my husband called me in and took me to see a doctor and I have been off work since.
I also filed a report with the Sheriff's department online. I received an email yesterday that my report had been accepted and will be investigated.

Let's get at this another way.

In an ideal world, what would be the resolution you would like to see happen?

NorCal~
I knew I loved you for a reason ❥•••
My initial request was for a telephone conference between my supervisor, the parent, and myself in order to clear the air.
I was not even allowed to complete the sentence I was speaking in order to ask for what I needed to feel more comfortable. My supervisor interrupted me, and blew me off.
I swear to you that I am not a timid little mousy type thing. Honestly, there is much more going on beyond the situation I wrote about in my post. I'm sure you're probably catching on to that. In an ideal world, I would like to feel protected by my employer. I would like to feel safe knowing that when I open those doors in the morning that only my student will board. But unfortunately, "things" at my place of work have gone terribly arwy.
My job has been a passion of mine for almost 10 years. I love driving that huge machine around town and seeing the amazed looks and dropped jaws of onlookers as I skillfully complete a tricky maneuver. And far and above everything, I love working with the kids. Pre-K thru12, regular and special needs, I love them all. I don't care who they are, what special need they have, where they are going, or why they need to be there. I take my job seriously and will step in at 4:30 on a rainy Friday afternoon to help out, every time. My biggest pet peeve is safety. I will NOT move my bus if I do not feel it is safe to do so. Not even by order of the President of the United States. My safety goes up on the list as a priority too, though, and I no longer feel that I am safe at work.

That wasn't quite what I meant.

What resolution to THIS EVENT would you be seeking? An apology? Him arrested? Financial compensation? Your employer to transfer you to a new route? All of the above? None of the above?