Jason Rogers, 47, of Underwood School in Otter Tail County, Minnesota, was arrested after allegedly stepping on three students during a lockdown drill on February 10
A 25st teacher from has been accused of standing on a child’s lower back like a “stepping stool” for a painful 10 seconds during a lockdown drill, according to police.
Jason Rogers, 47, who teaches at Underwood School in Minnesota, USA, allegedly admitted to stepping on three different students during a lockdown drill on February 10. The drill requires students to take cover in specific areas as if a real threat had entered the school.
According to the documents, Rogers became frustrated with the students as he felt they weren’t taking the drill seriously. He reportedly told the children that he was allowed to “step on them” because they were deliberately lying on their stomachs instead of sitting down.
Court documents reveal that he is now facing criminal charges over the incident.
The teacher then proceeded to step on the children’s backs, resulting in at least one sixth grader reportedly getting injured and crying.
“(The child) did not know why Defendant did this because he did not hear him say anything about it and just stepped on him like he was a ‘stepping stool,” reads Rogers’ criminal complaint, filed this week.
“He stated the entire class saw it and thought Defendant had broken (the boy’s) back,” the complaint continues, as reported by the Herald news.
The child was absent from school for a week due to his injuries, as per police reports.
Rogers, who reportedly weighs over 350 pounds, told officers he became worried when the sixth grader pleaded with him to get off, court documents reveal.
The suspect confessed during the interview that he had stepped on another child with one foot and briefly walked over a third like a staircase. The injured child’s mother took him to Lake Region Hospital before officially filing a police report accusing the teacher of assault.
The criminal complaint lodged against Rogers claimed that the child was “walking around like an 80-year-old from the pain in his back,” according to his worried mother. The teacher is currently on administrative leave following the incident and is facing a charge of malicious punishment of a child, which is a serious misdemeanor.
If found guilty, Rogers could face up to a year in prison or be hit with a substantial $3000 fine. His first court appearance is set for April 8.
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