US Teacher Faces Action After Using Student As A Footstool In School Safety Drill
The student's mother told authorities that he was left in severe pain and was “walking around like an 80-year-old” due to back injury.
A US teacher is facing charges after allegedly using a 6th-grade student as a “stepping stool" during a school safety drill. Jason Rogers, 48, who weighs approximately 350 pounds (158 kg), admitted to stepping on the boy’s back at Underwood School in Minnesota last month. The incident occurred after the student chose to lie on his stomach instead of sitting down during the drill.
According to court documents obtained by the Star Tribune, Rogers has been charged in Otter Tail County District Court with one gross misdemeanor count of malicious punishment of a child.
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The boy’s mother told authorities that her son was left in severe pain and was “walking around like an 80-year-old" due to his back injury. The incident came to light after the boy was taken to the hospital for treatment, as stated in the criminal complaint.
The boy informed officers that Rogers stood on his back for roughly 10 seconds. The pressure made him cry out in pain.
“[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’," the criminal complaint said.
The complaint further mentioned that the entire class witnessed the incident and thought Rogers had broken the boy’s back.
While admitting to the incident, Rogers explained that he did it because he felt the students were not taking the drill seriously, New York Post reported. He said that many kids were lying on their stomachs and he had warned them he “could step on them in their current position."
Court documents state that Rogers placed his foot on the boy’s lower back and put his weight on him. When the boy groaned and said “ouch," Rogers asked if he was okay.
A student told the detective that Rogers stepped on the boy with both feet. Rogers later admitted that he might have done so and acknowledged that he stepped on two other students as well.
Following the incident, Rogers was placed on paid administrative leave while the school district investigates the matter, a spokesperson for Underwood Public Schools said, as per Star Tribune. The school’s website lists Rogers as a fifth- and sixth-grade science teacher as well as a co-head wrestling coach and junior high football coach.
Rogers’ first court appearance is scheduled for April 8.
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