Disable Touch ID on my iPhone SE

iPhone SE with iOS 18.5. I want to disable Touch ID for my fingertips because of arthritis. I can use the passcode to access my phone anytime. I'm having trouble disabling Touch ID. Under Settings, I slide the Password Auto Fill off as explained in a web search, but I get the warning dialog box "Authentication is required before you can make changes to Stolen Device Protection." I went to Stolen Device Protection in on the same page and turned it off, but I get the same dialog warning. Running around in circles and a web search doesn't provide any clue how to get out of this. I'm unable to delete my fingerprint, also same authentication warning. What step am I missing?