White Father Who Shoved Black Superintendent at Graduation Ceremony Charged with Disorderly Conduct; Police say the attack was “planned” and no racial motive was found

A Wisconsin school superintendent has issued a restraining order against a person who had just been charged with disorderly conduct for pushing a district leader to forestall him from shaking hands with his daughter at a highschool graduation ceremony.

Michael Eddy needed to be escorted out of Baraboo High School during a May 31 ceremony after pushing Superintendent Dr. Rainey Briggs out in front of graduates and their families. A livestream video of the ceremony captured the moment Eddy stormed onto the stage and shoved Briggs just as his daughter began walking toward the line of district officials.

Two off-duty law enforcement officials and a college worker needed to restrain Eddy and escort him from the school grounds. He was charged with disorderly conduct in connection with this incident.

During the investigation, the officer determined that the attack was “pre-planned.”

According to the police report obtained by WMTV 15 NewsEddy told police that he and his child “had problems with Rainey in the past and didn’t like him.” During the ceremony, Eddy “wanted to prevent Rainey from having the satisfaction of shaking hands” with his daughter, “so he came on stage to prevent it.”

Police also interviewed Dr. Briggs, who told them he didn’t know who Eddy was until several days after the ceremony. He said Eddy’s daughter had been disciplined once at school, but he had never met or spoken to her or Eddy.

Briggs said he had no idea why Eddy “came like that.”

Briggs also told officers that when he returned to the stage after Eddy pushed him, he consistently monitored the crowd in fear and anxiety that another person would “come after him.”

Police stated that Eddy expressed remorse for his actions solely for the sake of his daughter, not Briggs.

The judge also approved a brief restraining order that prohibits Eddy from contacting Briggs.

In Briggs’ petition asking for the injunction, he wrote that Eddy “quickly walked as much as the stage and put each hands on me to push me out of the way, stating, ‘You aren’t touching my f***ing daughter.’ .’”

Briggs stated that he “created space” by attempting to separate himself from Eddy and told Eddy, “Get your hands off me.” Briggs said Eddy then tried to “push and pry” him, and he held out his hands to maintain Eddy away.

Many people accused Eddy, a white man, of racism for stopping his daughter from contacting Briggs, who gave the impression to be the only black person at graduation. The police report didn’t list racial motivation as the explanation for the incident.

The Baraboo School District condemned the incident in an announcement.

“What we do not tolerate is threatening, intimidating or physical harm towards anyone in our School District community. “No Baraboo School District employee should have fear for their physical safety while performing their duties or at any other time,” the statement read. “That this adult felt emboldened to behave this way in front of hundreds of students and other adults should deeply concern us all; this type of behavior will not be tolerated. The Baraboo School District Board of Education condemns such actions and asks the community to take a stand and speak out against this type of behavior that threatens the fabric of our democracy.”