Father, stepfather issued summons for fighting at kindergarten performance

Two Cape Girardeau men were issued summonses for peace disturbance after a Tuesday night altercation at a kindergarten performance in the Alma Schrader Elementary School gym, Cape Girardeau Police Department public information officer Darin Hickey said Thursday.

Ryan D. Steck, 36, and Kevin F. Alexander, 38, were arrested, cited and released for peace disturbance, Hickey said. The incident occurred at 6:35 p.m.

Hickey said Steck and Alexander got into a verbal altercation that led to pushing and shoving. Two off-duty police officers were attending the performance as parents. As soon as the officers saw words being exchanged, they made their way toward the subjects. The two men got face to face and the officers reported the two men went to the floor where the officers "immediately separated them," Hickey said.

One of the off-duty officers notified an on-duty unit, which responded and made the arrests, Hickey said. He said the fight was between a stepfather and biological father of a child in the school program.

Cape Girardeau School District communications director Dana Saverino said the district had no comment on the incident.

In a telephone call to the Southeast Missourian, Alexander said he was reacting to Steck yanking his stepdaughter out of his hands, which she told him hurt her. He also said their fight was a long time coming.

Alexander said Steck backhanded him and spit in his face. Alexander said he then punched Steck in the head, jumped on top of him and "may have" hit him a "couple more times."

"The worst part about it was it was in an elementary school around a bunch of kids," Alexander said.

Steck said he never hit Alexander and didn't spit on him. He just blew air out of his mouth. He added that he and Alexander have a long history. "I'm not the type of person who would get into a fight at a school like that," Steck said.

Alexander said he and Steck have been banned from any functions at the school.

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