A high school superintendent in Wisconsin has filed a restraining order against a father who rushed to graduation to avoid shaking hands with his daughter.
Baraboo High School Superintendent Rainey Briggs took command after Matt Eddy, 49, attacked him during Friday’s ceremony.
Footage showed the irate parent rushing at Briggs and grabbing his arm.
“That’s my daughter,” you hear Eddy say, as the crowd starts shouting and booing.
“You better get off me, man. Get away from me, bro,” Briggs replies.
Police escorted Eddy out of the building after the confrontation and arrested him for disorderly conduct.
Baraboo High School Superintendent Rainey Briggs has filed a restraining order against a father who rushed to the graduation stage to avoid shaking hands with his daughter
In his restraining order, Briggs wrote that Eddy said he’s “not going to touch my (expletive) daughter.” Wisconsin News reports.
He added that he was “creating space” and told Eddy to get away from him.
Dane County Circuit Court Commissioner J. Alberto Quiroga has since temporarily ordered Eddy to have no contact with Briggs until a hearing on June 14.
Baraboo School District spokesperson Hailey Wagner also confirmed this Time magazine that Rainey has since filed a restraining order against him.
“The Baraboo School District is taking this incident very seriously and is working closely with local law enforcement to ensure a thorough investigation,” Wagner said.
“Our primary focus remains celebrating the achievements of our graduates.
“We want to ensure that the significance of this milestone and the hard work of our students is not overshadowed by this unfortunate event.”
It is not yet known why Eddy was so determined to prevent his daughter from shaking hands with Rainey.
As his daughter pushed through a line of school officials and shook hands, Matt Eddy grabbed Superintendent Rainey Briggs by the arm and pushed him aside (far left)
While the reasons behind Matt Eddy’s actions remain unclear, social media users have criticized him, accusing him of ruining his daughter’s special moment.
However, it follows a dispute between a group of residents and Briggs and the school board.
A group of residents are currently trying to recall school board chairman Kevin Vodak, who was at the graduation ceremony.
Vodak has been accused of favoritism and providing inadequate pay and support to teachers.
Briggs has come under fire over his salary and that of other directors, while the contracts awarded to his consultancy firms have also come under scrutiny.
Critics also pointed to high staff turnover during his tenure and student behavioral problems.
The school district said in a statement: “Our primary focus remains celebrating the achievements of our graduates.
“We want to ensure that the significance of this milestone and the hard work of our students is not overshadowed by this unfortunate event.”
The district added that they are cooperating with law enforcement.
“We want to emphasize that the safety and well-being of our students, staff and community members is a top priority…The Baraboo School District is taking this incident very seriously.”
Police escorted Eddy out of the building after the confrontation and arrested him for disorderly conduct
The school board also released a statement commenting on Eddy.
“No employee of the Baraboo School District should fear for his physical safety while performing his duties or at any other time,” the school board said.
“That this adult felt emboldened to behave in this way towards hundreds of students and other adults should deeply disturb all of us; this type of behavior will not be tolerated.”
A disorderly conduct charge has been referred to the Sauk County District Attorney’s Office.
Baraboo high school was in the news in 2018 after an image surfaced of students giving the Nazi salute.
In an exclusive interview with DailyMail.com at the time, Peter Gust emphasized that the almost entirely white group of boys merely waved goodbye to their parents, without making any political statement.
“I am very frustrated and find it reprehensible that people all over the world can come to a judgment without knowing the facts and come to a monkeying around – and that comes from all over the world,” he said.