Parent arrested after damaging California school bus during disturbance

By Richard Ramos

A California mother was arrested this week after allegedly smashing a school bus door during a disturbance and climbing through a window to get her child.

The Calaveras County Sheriff’s Office said deputies responded to a local school bus on Aug. 24, 2026, following a disturbance involving a parent and the driver.

The sheriff’s office said the parent broke glass when striking the bus door and was ultimately arrested on suspicion of vandalism.

A three-minute video obtained by CBS News Sacramento from someone inside the bus depicts the chaotic moments when multiple students exited through the windows of the bus, which was stationary. One student said the bus got rowdy, which prompted the driver to pull over and stop.

On Thursday, Calaveras County Unified School District Superintendent Kassandra Meeks said the driver was stopped for about four minutes to address the students’ behavior and review bus expectations.

During this time is when the parent began banging on the door and ultimately broke the glass in the door, Meeks said. 

Moments later, an adult woman is captured climbing in through one of the open windows and confronting the bus driver before exiting.

Meeks added that an adult outside could be heard encouraging students to exit through the windows, which more students did. 

Law enforcement was on the scene about 14 minutes after the bus arrived at the bus stop, Meeks said. Students remained seated and calm on the bus while law enforcement investigated the incident, according to Meeks. 

Law enforcement officials have not identified the person arrested nor confirmed whether this woman was that individual. The sheriff’s office did not provide additional details about the circumstances that led to the confrontation.

Meeks added that the district reviewed footage of the incident and is taking appropriate action against the students involved.

“Regarding the driver, after reviewing the video footage, the District believes the driver acted appropriately under extremely challenging circumstances,” Meeks said. “His focus remained on student safety, maintaining order, and attempting to de-escalate the situation.”

Calaveras County Unified said the damage to the bus has affected the route for the remainder of the week while repairs are being made. The district said no windows were broken in the incident.