A Minnesota teacher is facing major consequences after authorities say he took a sixth-grade lockdown drill way too far, leading to criminal charges and the loss of his teaching license.
Former Underwood School teacher Jason Lowell Rogers has been sentenced to two years of supervised probation after pleading guilty to multiple misdemeanor counts connected to an incident where he allegedly stepped on students during a classroom lockdown exercise.
According to court documents, the incident happened during a lockdown drill in February 2025. Students were instructed to hide and remain quiet as part of the safety exercise, but investigators said Rogers became frustrated because he believed some students were not taking the drill seriously.
Officials said Rogers, who weighed more than 350 pounds, stepped on the back of a sixth-grade student who was lying on the floor. The student reportedly yelled out in pain, and the incident later resulted in a hospital visit.
Investigators said Rogers admitted he had also stepped on other students during the drill, claiming he was trying to demonstrate the seriousness of remaining still and quiet during an emergency situation.
The case sparked outrage among parents and community members, with many questioning how a teacher could use physical force against students during a school safety exercise.
Rogers ultimately pleaded guilty to three misdemeanor counts related to child punishment. As part of his sentence, he received supervised probation, was ordered to complete anger management classes, perform community service, and write apology letters to the students involved.
The former teacher also surrendered his teaching license, ending his ability to work as a licensed educator in Minnesota.
The incident has fueled a larger conversation about how schools handle discipline, student safety, and the boundaries teachers must follow when dealing with children.
Many people online have reacted with disbelief, saying the lockdown drill was supposed to teach students how to stay safe — not become an experience where students felt threatened by the person responsible for protecting them.
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