Parent accused of shoving Baraboo school board member during graduation ceremony appears in Sauk County court

BARABOO, Wis. (WMTV) – The man accused of shoving a Baraboo high school principal during his daughter's graduation ceremony made his first appearance in Sauk County District Court Wednesday.

A video from the May 2024 graduation ceremony that appears to show Matthew Eddy shoving Baraboo Superintendent Dr. Rainey Briggs went viral on the internet earlier this year.

Eddy is charged with a misdemeanor and, if convicted, faces up to 90 days in jail and a $1,000 fine.

Eddy's attorney, Jay Englund, declined to speak on camera, but sent an email to WMTV 15 News that said, in part, “The relatively ordinary evidence in this case appears to involve a father who was angry with a school superintendent.”

The Sauk County District Attorney's Office declined to comment.

Dr. Briggs has not yet responded to an email request for comment.

Eddy's bail was set at $250 and he is prohibited from contacting Dr. Briggs or being on any Baraboo School District property. A preliminary hearing has been scheduled for October 4.

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