With the ailing club facing a second successive relegation battle, supporters staged a sit-in protest after the final whistle of the 2-1 home loss at Goodison, but it was events in the lead-up to the game against fellow strugglers that forced the Toffees to take action in order to protect members of the club's executive.
It's understood Kenwright this week received death threats via email while Barrett-Baxendale was grabbed by a fan and placed in a headlock as she left the directors' box after a recent game.
After last week's defeat to Brighton, it is understood that Barrett-Baxendale was spat at, subjected to sexist and misogynistic abuse and her car was targeted by fans as she drove away from the ground.
As a result Kenwright, Barrett-Baxendale, chief finance and strategy officer Grant Ingles and non-executive director Graeme Sharp stayed away on Saturday on the advice of security advisors.
"The board members received the instruction following malicious and unacceptably threatening correspondence received by the club and increasing incidents of anti-social behaviour - including targeted physical aggression - at recent home matches," said a club statement.
"This is an unprecedented decision for Everton Football Club - never before has our entire board of directors been ordered not to attend a match on safety grounds. It is a profoundly sad day for Everton and Evertonians."
NSNOW, the group organising the protest - which is being backed by more than 67 fan and social media groups plus 21 official supporter clubs - have condemned the threats.
A statement read: "Everyone involved in our campaign and indeed every reasonable Evertonian utterly and completely condemn any threats to any Everton employee and/or officials and directors of the club."
Owner Farhad Moshiri, in an open letter this week, insisted his and the club's ambitions were aligned with supporters but stressed manager Frank Lampard and the club's board retained his complete faith.
Hundreds of fans with a number of banners stayed behind after the Southampton defeat, the majority in the Gwladys Street End, singing 'Sack the board' and 'You're not fit to run the club'.
