I am a high school teacher and fifth-grade basketball coach.

I was recently coaching a fifth-grade practice when a disgruntled parent walked into the gym with 10 minutes left to go and started harassing me. He got into my face and started yelling at me with foul language. The parent was a rather large individual, and I did not want to start a physical altercation, so I handed him the ball and walked away.

I did not want to try and negotiate with him because I didn’t know how he would react.

The children’s safety was not at stake, but I felt mine was.

I left the gym and sat in my truck because I didn’t have access to a phone inside the gymnasium.

There were about five or 10 parents and children who were on the sidelines who witnessed the event.

Afterward, the parents told me that the disgruntled…