‘Unruly’ parent arrested at Ohio high school’s homecoming dance, principal says

ANDERSON TOWNSHIP, Ohio (WXIX/Gray News) - A father was arrested after a dispute with a police officer during an Ohio high school’s homecoming dance, according to a letter from the principal.

Steven Stephens, 43, of Anderson Township, is facing charges of resisting arrest, criminal trespass and disorderly conduct after his arrest Saturday night, WXIX reports.

A police officer was dealing with an altercation between students at Anderson High School’s homecoming dance when Stephens arrived to see if he could assist his 18-year-old son, who was involved, the incident report says.

Stephens demanded that the officer explain why his son was being “illegally detained,” according to the report.

“I attempted to explain to him that his son was being held so the assistant principal could do what she needed to do while investigating the incident, and when she gets back, she will determine if the parties could leave,” wrote the officer in the report.

The officer wrote that Stephens then tried to take his son but was told the 18-year-old wasn’t free to leave.

“Stephens continued to demand that he take his son, so I told him he needed to leave,” the report said. “I approached Stephens to escort him from the room and building.”

Stephens, who was allegedly intoxicated, refused to leave school property. As he was being arrested, he pulled away from the school resource officer and had to be taken to the ground to be secured in handcuffs, criminal complaints show.

In a letter to parents, Principal Kyle Fender said the parent of a guest at the dance was arrested after becoming unruly with a police officer near the pick-up line and in the presence of students waiting to be picked up.

No students or staff members were involved, and the situation was resolved by a school resource officer, Fender added.

Fender said all school resource officers are also members of the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office, and the school will cooperate with the sheriff’s office as it investigates.