Man who disrupted Wisconsin graduation told police he disliked superintendent, police report says


The man who disrupted a Wisconsin high school graduation when he stormed the stage and blocked the superintendent from shaking hands with his daughter said he disliked the administrator and wanted to prevent him “from having the satisfaction” of shaking her hand, according to a police report.

Matthew Eddy spoke to police at Baraboo High School last Friday night after he walked up to Baraboo Superintendent Rainey Briggs at the high school graduation and moved him out of a line of administrators greeting graduates as they received their diplomas that evening, police said.

Rainey Briggs, left, is pushed away from the stage by Matthew Eddy. (Max TV – Baraboo via YouTube)

Eddy said he and his daughter had “past issues” with Briggs and dislike him, according to a police report.

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.

When asked whether he was remorseful for his actions, the report states Eddy told the officer he was, but only for his daughter’s sake, leading the officer to conclude “this may have been something that he had pre-planned to do.”

The police report says Briggs left school grounds immediately after the graduation ceremony.

The school resource officer spoke to Briggs by phone on Monday and said in the report that the superintendent said he did not know who Eddy was when Eddy approached him. Briggs told the officer that Eddy’s daughter was at one point expelled from the school, according to the report, but that he does not directly interact with parents regarding expulsions and could not recall any other interactions he had with Eddy nor any reason why Eddy reacted the way he did.

Briggs also told the officer that he planned to obtain a restraining order against Eddy, which he was granted this week. In the temporary order filed Monday in Dane County Circuit Court, Eddy was instructed not to have any contact with Briggs. A hearing is scheduled for June 14.

In his petition for the order, Briggs says Eddy “approached the stage quickly and put both of his hands on me to push me out of the way stating ‘you are not going to touch my f—— daughter.’” Briggs said he then “created space” and told Eddy to get his hands off him, the petition states. Briggs says Eddy began to “push and pry” at him and that he put his hands out to keep Eddy away, according to the petition.

Briggs told an officer, according to the report, that Eddy’s behavior “caused him fear” because it followed “numerous threats” he has received as superintendent. The report does not elaborate on those threats.

Video of Eddy approaching Briggs has been widely shared online. Though four school board members and the school’s principal also were on stage, Eddy confronted only Briggs.

The school district has said it is taking the “unfortunate event” seriously and working closely with local law enforcement to ensure a thorough investigation.

The Baraboo School Board said in a statement that it does not condone “engaging in threatening, intimidating, or physically harming behaviors against anyone in our School District community.”

“That this adult felt emboldened to behave in this way in front of hundreds of students and other adults should deeply trouble us all; this type of behavior will not be tolerated,” the school board said, adding that it “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.”

Baraboo is 40 miles northwest of Madison and has a population of less than 13,000. The population is 90.4% white, according to the most recent census data.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com

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