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Wisconsin dad storms stage to stop Black superintendent from shaking daughter's hand, sparking online racism debate
A Wisconsin father was captured on camera preventing Black superintendent from shaking his daughter's hand at her high school graduation ceremony.
In a bizarre incident, a Wisconsin white father was captured on camera rushing to the stage and forcing the Black superintendent out of the way, preventing him from shaking his daughter's hand at her high school graduation ceremony. He even yelled, “I don't want her touching him.”
The troubling incident occurred on Friday at Baraboo High institution in Wisconsin, the same institution that hit headlines in 2018 after a photo surfaced featuring several students performing the Nazi salute.
The footage of the graduation ceremony shows the man, whose identity has bot been disclosed in a bid to protect his daughter, ascending the stage as his daughter shakes hands with school officials.
But when she approached Superintendent Rainey Briggs, who was appointed in 2021, the man went onto the stage, grasped his arm, and yanked him away from his daughter.
“That’s my daughter. I don’t want her touching him,” the father was heard saying.
Briggs was then asked the man to take his hands off him, while others on stage looked on in surprise and disbelief. Following this, the father was escorted out of the school premises.
Hailey Wagner, spokesperson for the Baraboo School District, informed WiscNews that a complaint regarding man's disorderly behaviour has been sent to the Sauk County District Attorney's Office.
"We would like to emphasise that the safety and well-being of our students, staff, and community members is a top priority," Wagner stated in a statement.
Baraboo Board of Education reacts
Commenting on the incident, the Baraboo Board of Education stated that there was no place for “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,” it added.
Meanwhile, Wisconsin state Rep. Francesca Hong took to X, formerly Twitter, and wrote: “No one should have to endure this type of gross & racist conduct.”
Hong called Briggs “an excellent superintendent” who is deeply concerned “about the well-being of all students in the Baraboo District.”
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Netizens call out the racist incident
Several netizens condemned the incident on social media, with one Facebook user, saying, “This is ridiculous!! Dr. Rainey Briggs you handled this well.”
“Some bigot interceded to stop his white daughter from touching a black man on stage, in 2024,” another user commented.
A third user chime in, “That sounds like assault and I hope the superintendent presses charges.”
“This is beyond disgusting behavior. Dr. Briggs deserves so much better. Baraboo has never really been a safe place for people of color. Continually hearing stories of hate coming from that community is heartbreaking,” a fourth added.
