The father of a Baraboo, Wisconsin, high school graduate went on the stage and grabbed the superintendent of schools, Rainey Briggs, as the parent’s daughter was approaching to shake the superintendent’s hand.
The father has been named by the New York Post and Daily Mail as Matt Eddy (Matthew Eddy.) Eddy was charged with misdemeanor disorderly conduct on June 6, according to Wisconsin court records.
“That’s my daughter,” the father said in the video. According to Wisc News, a voice is then heard saying, “I don’t want her touching him.”
WMTV reported that a police report reveals the dad told police that he and his daughter “have had past issues with Rainey and dislike him” and he “wanted to prevent Rainey from having the satisfaction of shaking” his daughter’s hand, “so he went onto the stage to prevent that from happening.”
The report says he “pre-planned” the “push,” according to WMTV.
The video has gone viral:
The father of a Baraboo High School student in Wisconsin storms the stage to stop a Black school district superintendent from shaking his daughter’s hand at her graduation ceremony.
“ I don't want her touching him.”
— No Jumper (@nojumper) June 5, 2024
Briggs responded in the video, “You better get up off me man. Get away from me bro.”
He told police “he didn’t know who the parent was until a few days after the incident. He recalled one instance where the parent’s child was disciplined in school, but Dr. Briggs said he had no interaction with them or the parents,” according to WMTV, citing the police report. Briggs told police he “has no idea why (the parent) reached the way he did,” the television station reported, noting that accusations that racism motivated the dad were “not substantiated by the police report or criminal complaint.”
Restraining Order Sought Against Matt Eddy
Briggs has sought a restraining order against Eddy, court records indicate and the television station reported.
According to Channel 3000, the incident occurred on Friday, May 31. It’s alleged the father was upset over how the district had “handled bullying incidents relating to his daughter,” Channel 3000 reported.
The parent was escorted off, the site reported.
According to WKOW-TV, the father’s daughter was a graduating senior. Authorities have referred a disorderly conduct ticket against him, the television station reported.
The school district told WKOW that the Baraboo school resource officer and two off-duty police officers who were attending the graduation “promptly assisted in managing the situation.” He was removed “from the venue,” the television station reported.
Daily Mail also named the dad, although authorities have not released his name.
“We would like to emphasize that the safety and well-being of our students, staff, and community members is a top priority,” a Baraboo School District statement read, according to Wisc News.
Briggs has been Baraboo’s superintendent for about three years. Before that, he was a principal in the Madison area.
“I’m saddened that this happened. My daughter had to witness this too as she was in this graduating class. It doesn’t matter the reasons of why the man did what he did. It was incredibly inconsiderate of the students and families in attendance. I have my issues with things happening in our schools. It’s sad that we can’t put aside things for just one night to allow everyone to enjoy and celebrate these students and their accomplishments,” a woman wrote on a Baraboo-related Facebook page.
There’s been a lot of tension in Baraboo lately.
Another person wrote on the page, “I haven’t seen anything that would indicate that this happened because of racism (Briggs is black and the parent white), or that it has anything to do with the recall of Kevin Vodak. The local buzz is that it had to do with bullying and the way the school handled it.” According to WGLR, Vodak is the School Board president and some parents are trying to recall him over superintendent pay and “management of district resources,” among other issues.
However, the motive has not been released by authorities.
According to WISC News, “A large group of residents, including a former district teacher who worked in the district prior to Briggs’ tenure, have voiced numerous complaints against Briggs, other administrators and the School Board.” The site did not specify what those were.
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