KEY WEST, Fla. — Monroe County Tax Collector Sam Steele was involved in a fistfight with two other men Monday evening at George Mira Football Field during a youth football game.
The two other men are believed to be Kevin Degraffenreid and his son, also named Kevin.
Steele’s son plays for the Bull Shark Dolphins in the C League, while the elder Degraffenreid’s grandson plays for the Key Lime Conch Seminoles.
What prompted the confrontation and who initiated it remained unclear at press time.
A police report was filed, but no arrests were made.
Above the Fold has requested the report, the 911 recording and body-camera footage from responding Key West Police Department officers to establish what happened and why no arrests were made.
In response to the confrontation, the Key West Junior Football League scheduled a meeting Wednesday to consider barring those involved, including Steele, from participating in the league. The outcome was not known at press time.
Steele, an elected county constitutional officer, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Background: Prior Defamation Lawsuit
Steele previously settled a separate defamation lawsuit stemming from his involvement in youth baseball.
According to court filings, Steele was the president and founder of the Florida Keys Bull Sharks baseball team. Peter E. Batty served on the team’s board of directors before Steele removed him in July 2025.
On July 14, 2025, Steele sent Batty and his wife a message informing them that Batty would no longer serve on the board and that the team would fill their player’s roster spot.
“I am not going into specifics here, but the ongoing issues have been thoroughly documented and considered over time,” Steele wrote, according to a later court filing. Batty disputed the accusations underlying the message.
Batty filed the lawsuit Aug. 26, 2025, in Monroe County Circuit Court, seeking more than $50,000 in damages over statements Steele allegedly made in a group text concerning the team.
Batty’s complaint alleged that Steele falsely accused him of dishonesty, misrepresented his statements and accused him of undermining the team’s trust and values. Batty also alleged that the statements damaged his reputation, caused emotional distress and led to lost income or business opportunities. He sought damages, a written retraction and an apology.
On Oct. 1, 2025, Steele’s attorneys filed a motion to dismiss. They characterized the dispute as stemming from “hurt feelings” and argued that the challenged statements were opinions expressed in an internal team communication.
The defense also argued that the message had not been published to a third party in the legal sense because it circulated among people involved in the organization. Steele’s attorneys asserted that the communication was protected by a qualified privilege and that he had statutory immunity for actions taken as a corporate director.
The parties later resolved the case. On June 3, 2026, they filed a joint stipulation stating that the dispute had been “amicably resolved” and asking the court to dismiss it with prejudice, with each side paying its own attorney fees and costs.
On June 17, 2026, the court entered a final order granting the dismissal. The order did not determine whether the challenged statements were defamatory or disclose the settlement terms.
This is an evolving story. Watch this space.
