Teacher Accused Of Stepping On 6th Grader’s Back During Lockdown Drill

A sixth grade teacher in Otter Tail County, Minnesota, is facing charges of malicious punishment after he allegedly stood on the backs of three students during a lockdown drill in February.

Jason Rogers, 47, a science teacher at Underwood School, is accused of stepping on three students during the Feb. 10 drill, according to the Tri-City Herald, which obtained a criminal complaint filed earlier this month.

Rogers, who told investigators he weighs more than 350 pounds, said in the court documents that some students weren’t taking the drill seriously and were lying on their stomachs instead of sitting down.

Rogers told the students “he could step on them,” and then intentionally stepped on one of the students, authorities said.

“(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,’” according to the complaint. “He stated the entire class saw it and thought Defendant had broken (the boy’s) back.”

After the student could be heard audibly groaning, Rogers told investigators that he asked the boy if he was OK.

Rogers said he was “concerned” about the student after he missed classes for the rest of the week, according to the Tri-City Herald.

When detectives questioned Rogers about the accusations, he admitted to placing his foot on the lower back of one of the students and stepping on him.

Rogers said he couldn’t remember if he used one foot or two on the boy but also admitted to stepping on two other students, the complaint noted.

Although the victim is described as “healthy,” his mother told authorities that, as a result of Rogers’ action, her son walked around “like an 80-year-old from the pain in his back” after the incident.

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Rogers was charged with one count of malicious punishment, a gross misdemeanor, and is due in court on April 8. He has been placed on administrative leave, according to Underwood School District Superintendent Jeff Wilson.