Father Blocks Black Superintendent From Shaking His Daughter’s Hand During Baraboo High School Graduation (Video)

The father of a Baraboo High School graduate forcefully intervened during the school’s graduation ceremony on Friday. As his daughter walked across the stage to receive her diploma, the father abruptly pulled district Superintendent Rainey Briggs away before she could shake his hand.

Wearing a white polo shirt and a baseball cap, the man ran onto the stage right after his daughter received her diploma. Before she could greet Superintendent Briggs, he grabbed Briggs by the right arm and pushed him aside, loudly proclaiming, “That’s my daughter,” as captured in a video by TV43 Baraboo.

In the footage, Briggs responds, “You better get up off me, man. Get away from me, bro,” as graduation staff and three Baraboo police officers, including the school resource officer, stepped in to handle the situation. A voice in the background can be heard saying, “I don’t want her touching him.”

Following the incident, police escorted the man out of the school. Despite sharing the stage with other school officials, including School Board President Kevin Vodak and Principal Steve Considine, the man solely confronted Superintendent Briggs.

District spokesperson Hailey Wagner later confirmed that a disorderly conduct charge has been referred to the Sauk County District Attorney’s Office for the father.

This incident follows a controversial moment in 2018 when students at Baraboo High School were seen giving a Nazi salute in a class photo, highlighting ongoing tensions within the school community.