
A man who disrupted a Wisconsin high school graduation by storming the stage and blocking his graduating daughter from shaking the hand of her school’s superintendent said he disliked the administrator and wanted to prevent him “from having the satisfaction” of shaking her hand, according to police.
Matthew Eddy told police that he walked up to Baraboo High School Superintendent Rainey Briggs and moved him out of a line of administrators greeting graduates as they received their diplomas.
Eddy, who was accused of racism when video of the incident went viral on social media, said he and his daughter had “past issues” with Briggs and disliked him.
From NBC News:
The incident report has provided the only public insight into a possible motive. Eddy has not returned repeated requests for comment this week. Reached by phone on Friday, Briggs declined to answer questions. Neither of them has spoken out publicly about the matter.
A school resource officer who spoke to Eddy said in the report that, although he acknowledged going on stage to prevent Briggs from shaking hands with his daughter, Eddy “did not necessarily state how he physically prevented” them from interacting and “was vague” in response to questions. The school officer also said that he told Eddy that what he had done was unacceptable and could have been handled in a more appropriate way.
“Matthew was explained that what he did disrupted graduation for everyone and likely brought unnecessary attention toward” his daughter, the police report states.
(Video below)
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.
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.
But tell me again how we’ve never been a racist country.https://t.co/OQDbecHXuU pic.twitter.com/ZGJwMWyUMg
— Keith Boykin (@keithboykin) June 5, 2024
Read the full report over at NBC News.